Never Been Pregnant
by Total Vartan Lover
Summary: 030705! NEW CHAPTER UP!Please R&R! Sam and Josie are now Mr. and Mrs. Coulson! This is what I think could have been done if there ever was a sequel!FLUFFINESS, for now at least... Please Enjoy, review if you can. "Something delicious is brewing in the ki
1. Default Chapter

Hey! I feel like a "Loser," but I just saw this movie a few weeks ago when it was shown on WB and now I just had to write a fic about it!!!!  
  
And the sad thing is, I love MICHAEL VARTAN and I totally did not know he was in this movie! Can you believe this!!! Sorry "Vaughn," forgive me okay!!! Lol  
  
All I can say is I don't own any of the characters and this fic is written if the producers of "Never Been Kissed," would ever do a sequel. But the idea is mine so hope you enjoy it!!!  
  
Lots of love for ya! Enjoy  
  
Leo's l'il sista  
  
Prologue  
  
Tap. Tap. Tap.  
  
"It's almost twelve o'clock on Tuesday evening of August 18, 2000," Josie Geller typed onto her laptop. "But I anticipate the evening more than others, for when the hour hand and the minute hand meet at the highest point on the clock, it will be my first anniversary in marriage to the truly only man I love, my dearest husband~~~Sam Coulson."  
  
She paused for a moment as she allowed her blue eyes to stare hard at the name on the screen. She curled her lip, debating whether it was unprofessional to put her husband's actual name in her article.  
  
Was it corny?  
  
Did it sound stuck up?  
  
But then she thought~~~did she care?  
  
She grinned as her eyes fell on the framed picture sitting next to her desk top. It was their wedding picture, their first portrait as Mr. And Mrs. Sam Coulson. She'd never liked her pictures and if she was the person she was last year, she wouldn't be caught dead displaying a picture of herself on her desk.  
  
She'd never thought for a second that she was pretty, let alone beautiful. She was a nerd, a walking dictionary who's lifetime goal was to correct everyone's grammar, including what came out of the mouths of people who were unfortunate to come in contact with her.  
  
But Sam Coulson had changed all that~~~he'd changed her. He made her feel that she was beautiful and that she did deserve to be loved. He constantly insisted that it was he who was lucky to have found her and not the other way around. And he loved Shakespeare and having perfect grammar as much as she did.  
  
He was perfect.  
  
And their August Wedding had been as picture perfect as the photo she was glancing at.  
  
"And he hadn't complained about being in a penguin suit that day," Josie remembered. A flashback from prom materialized in her head when he'd told her that she made a beautiful prom queen and that he felt like he didn't belong.  
  
"~~~Wearing these penguins suits~~~it's like I'm at my own wedding~~~"  
  
Actually she had pointed that out to him on their wedding day and he had claimed that he wouldn't have had it any other way.  
  
She stared at Sam's name once again and giggled.  
  
Of course it had to be there! She'd created the article to convey to the world how things were going with her "mystery teacher," one year after she'd written the article to win his heart.  
  
And Sam Coulson was the only reason she was this happy.  
  
And it really had been one year of true bliss.  
  
Why not let the world in on how happy she was? This world needed some literature that wasn't depressing as Dorothy Parker's works.  
  
Plop!  
  
Josie reached for a tissue after she was the tear splat again the table and dabbed her eyes.  
  
It still got to her.  
  
She'd never thought she would be happy. She'd stopped believing that dreams could come true after prom and that there was somebody out there that was meant just for her.  
  
But after getting her first undercover story as a high school student, she'd not only wont he man of her wildest passionate day dreams, but she'd been able to discover herself, gotten the chance to live her lifelong high school dream of hanging out with the most popular girls in school, defended the denominators against their number-crunching rivals and gotten Rob into the minor league, right where he belonged.  
  
Not in the lame job at the tiki post with the free lei's. And things had just continued to turn out better. She had now achieved the success of becoming a major reporter for the Chicago Sun Times, married to a man who loved her deeper than any love she could have ever hoped for. As for Sam, he was now teaching at the college, and even managed to squeeze in time for the local hockey team between spoiling her with romantic evenings and grading term papers.  
  
She stared at her screen and gasped.  
  
She'd written down everything she'd been thinking. She read it through and to her surprise she found she didn't need to change a thing, which was a first for Josie Geller who had managed to find at least one thing wrong in every paper she'd edited in her life.  
  
But it was perfect  
  
Life was perfect.  
  
She took a composing breath and took the break from her screen as a chance to glance at the cuckoo clock on the wall.  
  
Five minutes to twelve.  
  
She hit save on the document and waited for the painstaking seconds it took to download onto her disk.  
  
She heard the shower turn off and grinned, heat creeping into her already flushed cheeks.  
  
Sam had five minutes to come out so they could be in each other's arms the moment Aug 19 began. She wondered if he would make it this time. He'd been a devastating one minute and a half late to meet her on the pitcher's mound two May's ago. And what nerve he had after she'd taken the risk of totally humiliating herself and her reputation by not only writing a full page on how she'd been a geek during her high school years, but revealing her truest feelings to who else but the English teacher she'd deceived while she'd acted as a seventeen-year old Josie Geller high school student at South Glen High last spring by proposing he meet her at the final baseball game of the season and give her her first real kiss in front of the whole stadium.  
  
"Hmm~~~" she thought, reopened her laptop and began typing again.  
  
"A good writer only wrote what she knew," that was her motto and she knew putting her exact feelings down on paper would be the best way to be personable with her readers and create an excellent article.  
  
"Josie, you still typing on that thing?" Sam Coulson chuckled as he closed the bathroom door behind him. "It's almost our anniversary." Josie felt her heart jump into her throat. "You remembered," she beamed and turned around in her seat, dropping everything she was doing for that minute.  
  
Sam was standing there with only a pair of sweats on. His tanned chest and abdomen were exposed, and still dripping with water from the hot shower he'd just taken. The room was filled with the aromatic scent of the soap that had been absorbed into his skin.  
  
Josie blushed when she saw Sam raise an eyebrow at her. He frequently did that when he caught her staring at him.  
  
God, could she help it if her husband was sexy?  
  
"Of course I did," he crooned as he trotted up to her and slipped his strong arms around her waist and nuzzled his cheek against hers. "This marks one year of the best year of my life too."  
  
"Sam, that is so sweet," she giggled, leaning against his bare chest. "You've definitely made it this time too."  
  
Confusion grew in Sam's emerald eyes and Josie felt humiliated that he didn't recall what she was referring too. But then he glanced over at the clock and when he looked back at her, he was grinning. "Have you been counting five minutes till?"  
  
"Maybe."  
  
"Well honey, we've got two more minutes and I don't think it counts if you're focusing on the screen and not me," he chided her in a husky voice.  
  
"I'm just saving my work," she put in hurridely and let out a contented sigh when the screen notified her that the process for saving had been completed on both her floppy disk as well as her hard drive.  
  
"Is this your new article?" he inquired as his wife stretched her arms into the air and locked them behind his neck.  
  
"It certainly is!" she beamed, kissing him on the cheek.  
  
"Wow! I bet Chicago can't wait to read about this," Sam praised, placing a kiss on her forehead. "Remember all the fan-mail you received from that first article?"  
  
Josie nodded. She did.  
  
"Never Been Kissed," had not only bumped her up to the position of major reporter, but she'd gotten the whole of Chicago to believe in her as well as her writing. "That's who I'm writing it for. To let everyone know that I'm still in love with you and will be for years to come," she stammered. "And they can all serve as witnesses that~~~this isn't a dream," she added then looked up into his eyes. "This is all really happening."  
  
Sam couldn't bear to see the hurt in her eyes. "Aww Josie," he crooned and held her face in his hands as tears continued to well in her eyes and streamed down her cheeks. "I'm sorry, I've just~~~never been this happy before. I'm afraid that I'm going to wake up one morning and you're not going to be by my side. I'm going to go crazy if I can never see your sleeping face next to mine."  
  
Sam's heart melted. She was really the most amazing woman and he always felt he didn't tell her that enough. She was so confident and happy, but then there were times when she revealed how worried she was that all this that was happening was too good to be true and he found that bittersweetly reassuring.  
  
She was going to stick around for life.  
  
"Josie," he scolded her gently and waited for her to look at him. "Josie, this is real. I'm real, you're real and this marriage is the best real thing in my life," Sam promised her. "And truth is sometimes I start thinking that I'm dreaming, that life can't be this good, but then," he sighed affectionately and gently caressed her face. "When I look into those big blue eyes and see the love there, all my doubts disappear."  
  
Josie hid her head, knowing she had to be completely red in the face.  
  
He then raised her head and moved his head to hers until he could kiss her lips. In the next second all of her doubts disappeared. In fact the only thing that was left existing was Sam and Sam warm familiar lips kissing her. The rest of the world slipped away.  
  
Except for the cuckoo from the clock.  
  
Josie counted them in her mind while the rest of her was attached to her husband, both physically and emotionally.  
  
Ten~~~eleven~~~twelve~~~  
  
He gently bit her on the lip and broke away allowing Josie time to catch her breath. He had been counting the chimes himself.  
  
"Happy Anniversary, Josie darling," he pronounced then added, "and let us pray we'll have many more of these to come."  
  
She stared at Sam who looked so handsome in the golden lamplight. His light hair shone blond and his green eyes glistened even more if that was even possible. "You know what, I've got something to give you," he revealed and to Josie it sounded like he'd said it as an after thought to their previous conversation.  
  
She watched him reach into the a pocket of his coat that had been hanging on a nearby chair. Her heart jumped into her throat when she saw a small velvet box.  
  
She felt as though she were in a good romance movie.  
  
"I~Is that for me?" she gasped, covering her mouth.  
  
"Of course it is, silly," he teased her good naturedly and handed the box to her awaiting hands. "Who else would I buy an anniversary gift for?"  
  
Josie stared at the object in her hand, in awe.  
  
And Sam Coulson was a very patient man. He had to be since he actually chose to teach kids he was sure didn't want to be taught to. But the drama of the moment was playing on his last nerve.  
  
"Aren't you going to open it?"  
  
She was startled by his anxious expression and let out an embarrassed giggle. She calmed her trembling fingers long enough to pry the box open.  
  
The next second her mouth dropped.  
  
"Mr. Coulson!"  
  
"No, Sam, sweetheart. My name is now Sam," he smiled, pleased to see her beautiful smile that had been caused by his little gift. "You like it?"  
  
"L~like it? Sam, it's beautiful!" she gushed, her eyes glued to the trinket glistening in the box. Nestled there was a silver ring adorned with a jeweled version of the Adeli penguin.  
  
"I was going to save it till our dinner tonight but knowing you, you're always busy with articles not to mention you're working on an extra one for your admirers. And you were getting emotional again and our conversation conveniently led up to it," he pointed out and then he dropped to his knee and dreamily declared, "you are my Adeli penguin, Josie."  
  
Sam pulled her away from her chair, not listening to any objection and sat her down on the bed. "This is a one-of-a kind, Josie honey, so don't lose it okay," he pleaded with her as he took her hand and slipped the ring onto her finger.  
  
"I won't," she whispered, afraid to that she would start crying again if she said anything out loud. Sam watched her raise her hand in the air and he wallowed in seeing her happy. "Sam Coulson, you are the greatest! I love you!" she cried and pulled him impulsively into a hug.  
  
"Hey!" he laughed, and patted her back. "Okay, I love you too."  
  
"You have no idea how I feel right now," she told him, slowly releasing her hold on him.  
  
"Yeah? Why don't you tell me then?"  
  
"I am truly~~~lucky~~~to have you."  
  
"Ditto," he replied then kissed her again and continued the kiss until he felt a yawn in the back of his throat. He gently peel her reluctant arms off of him.  
  
"Sam? You okay?" she asked with concern.  
  
"Hmm? Oh yeah, just~~~I feel like a loser to spoil this romantic moment but you've got an article due and don't you have a meeting with that one guy tomorrow?"  
  
"Gus?" she groaned, leaning against him. She'd totally forgotten.  
  
"Yeah. And I have four classes to teach tomorrow and I've got to squeeze in hockey practice before dinner," he continued, trying not to feel guilty. "So I really need some shut-eye, and you'll need it too if you don't want to go to work with bags under your eyes."  
  
Josie looked less than thrilled. Personally, bags under her eyes didn't sound like a bad idea if the cause was staying up with her husband the previous evening, even if they were talking about nothing.  
  
"Come on, don't look at me like that. If you'll go to sleep now, I'll edit your article before I go to work tomorrow," he offered as he got under the covers.  
  
"You're funny Mr. Coulson!" she giggled and smacked him on the shoulder, knowing very well Sam had added that comment just to tease her. Grammar was a sore point with her and no one knew that better than Sam.  
  
"It's Sam, Josie, SAM!" he laughed.  
  
Josie slipped into bed beside him and was trying to get comfortable when she spied a thick wad of papers sitting on the table on his side of the bed.  
  
"Sam?" "Hmm?" he replied sleepily, his eyelids droopy, almost completely hiding his gorgeous green eyes from view.  
  
"Isn't that the book you've been working on?" she inquired.  
  
Sam forced his eyes open and followed her gaze.  
  
"Yeah, I was wondering where I'd put that," he muttered, sat up in bed as he pulled the papers off the table then straightened them out.  
  
"Will you read me some of that?"  
  
Sam blushed when he heard the question and by the time he turned to look at his wife, he was sure his body temperature had gone up a few degrees.  
  
"Josie, I~~~I don't like sharing my writing, especially when it's not finished," he protested. "Besides, my work is nowhere near as good as yours."  
  
Josie rolled her eyes. Obviously flattery wasn't going to get him out of this mess. "Says the Yale graduate," she grumbled then she clambered onto his chest and raised her eyes. "Please, Sam, just one chapter? You're always hearing about my work and I want to hear about yours."  
  
Sam was thinking about scolding her and suggest they turn out the lights but he didn't want to fight with her now. Besides he never got that far, not after seeing the soft golden curls that caressed her angel-like face, complete with the most beautiful eyes, rosy cheeks and pouty lips he'd ever laid eyes on.  
  
"Please?" she repeated.  
  
Sam sighed heavily, though he had to admit he was flattered that she wanted so much to do with his writing and her support for him was unbelieveable.  
  
But still.  
  
"F~fine," he exhaled, giving in. "You know there's no way I can say no when you look at me like that."  
  
"I know," she grinned.  
  
He reached his hand to cover up his yawn and peered at the clock. It was thirty minutes past twelve. "Okay, but just thirty minutes, the lights go out at one."  
  
"Okay," she agreed.  
  
Sam flipped gingerly through the pages and pulled out a chapter that he was sure wouldn't embarrass him too much.  
  
"All right, ready?" he asked Josie, who was currently laying her head on his built but soft abdomen.  
  
"Yup~~~"  
  
"Just to warn you, I haven't edited this yet so it's~~~it's not perfect."  
  
"I'm not here to judge," she promised him and wriggled around to make herself more comfortable.  
  
He took a deep breath, braced himself for the cringing his wife would probably do over his bad grammar and began reading, his french accent thick from nervousness.  
  
But after half a page, he realized she hadn't made one crude remark about his writing. He gazed down at his wife and saw that she was smiling peacefully.  
  
"Josie?"  
  
"Keep reading Sam. It's very well written."  
  
Trust Josie's grammar to be perfect even if she was half asleep.  
  
Sam, having gained renewed confidence, plunged forward as his wife slowly drifted to a slumber, comforted by the warmth of his skin, the tempo of his breathing and the sound of his beautiful french-accented voice.  
  
Stay tuned for Chapter One! Things are about to get interesting! 


	2. Chapter One: A Big Surprise

Hey ya'll! 6 reviews! Oh My GOD! Do you know how great you are? Well, you guys rock! Thank you so much for your reviews! I am definitely going to keep this going so keep on reading okay! Thanks so much, and those of you who are in love with Vaughn, I've got a few alias fics up too, so please come and check them out!!!  
  
Lataz, Total Vaughn Lover  
  
Chapter One  
  
"Good morning, Josie!" Anita greeted her good friend and fellow reporter when she arrived through the double-doors at the entrance that morning, looking fairly rustled that morning. Once again, Anita was doing her typical thing of being late, hence the reason she'd been fired over five times.  
  
She was just lucky Gus was her boyfriend.  
  
"Good morning Anita," Josie hollered back, grinning from ear to ear, trying not to laugh at Anita's appearance. She herself was dressed in a pair of nice black slacks and matching suit jacket, a purple camisole peeked out from underneath showing enough of her clevage to indicate today was a special day.  
  
Yes professionally she was dressed but there was something definitely differently about her.  
  
And Anita couldn't quite put her finger on just what that was.  
  
"There's something going on with you today," she accused, pointedly as she fell into step right beside her.  
  
"Really? You think so?" Josie giggled as she made her way to her cubicle. She waved at Merck, the young man sitting near her telling whoever on the phone that he should write down what he was saying and he waved back, looking astounded and it wasn't because of the lacey camisole.  
  
"Did you just wave at your assistant?" Anita demanded after a second passed, her hair characteristically flying out of place.  
  
"Yes," Josie replied pleasantly, not shook up as Anita was.  
  
"Yup, there is something definitely up with you," Anita diagnosed, narrowing her dark eyes at her companion. "The Josie Geller I know wouldn't have waved at her assistant, not unless he didn't hear you the first time when you asked him for your notes," the brunette went onto declare, leaning against Josie's desk as the owner of the desk settled in for the day.  
  
"Maybe there is something about me that has definitely changed," Josie proposed, "I know I've become a different person since I met Sam Coulson, but you know that," she reminded her as she took post-it's from Merck who had approached her table.  
  
"Okay, but there is something different about you. I mean, did you curl your hair?"  
  
Josie flipped her head, bouncing her normally bouncy blond curls. "My hair has been curly for an year now, Anita."  
  
Anita studied her thoughtfully then began mumbling, "Oh yeah, you're right. Okay then you must have changed your makeup?"  
  
She shook her head.  
  
"Your clothes?"  
  
She repeated the action, but this time she was trying to keep from laughing.  
  
Anita continued to sit there, rambling as she stared at her as though believing that if she stared long enough somehow the answer would appear.  
  
Josie came to the conclusion that Anita was a lost case and instead focused on her work. She pulled a disk from it's case and uploaded it onto the computer. She glanced over at the clock. She needed to get her article to her boss, Rigfort, if she wanted him to put it in the evening newspaper.  
  
"Uh~~~is there a Josie Geller Coulson at this address?"  
  
Josie snapped her head up upon hearing her name being mentioned. Standing there was her boss, Gus.  
  
He was presently looking very irritated as he conversed with the man he was talking to. He was carrying a huge bouquet of flowers and two balloons.  
  
"Whoa, what's with the flowers," a fair-sized black lady interrupted, bumping Gus on the hip. "You getting flowers for your girlfriend now?"  
  
She was referring to Anita and Gus flustered noticeably at the mention of her name.  
  
"Actually these flowers have arrived for a Mrs. Coulson," he huffed as he gathered his bearing then pointed to a desk at the other side of the room. "Second desk on the right, it's that bouncy blond."  
  
"Thanks sir," the flower delivery man said to him then lifted the parcel and headed over to the desk.  
  
Gus harrumphed, glared at the happy people and then went into his room, after telling somebody to ask Josie to come into his office within the next minutes.  
  
Josie was meanwhile hurridely trying to erase all the little graphic hearts her husband had added to her document. He'd claimed he was editing it when he'd taken a go at her laptop but it seemed as though he hadn't found a thing wrong with her article and had decided to, at the least, decorate her work.  
  
They were cute and it made her heart swell to see them but she couldn't possibly hand it into her boss in that condition, not since Gus was against anything cute, flowery or romantic, to the dismay of his girlfriend.  
  
"Are you Mrs. Josie Coulson?"  
  
"Um~~~yes," Josie replied, not looking up.  
  
"Great. I have a delivery for you."  
  
"A delivery," she wondered as though she'd never thought she could receive flowers are work, and raised her head.  
  
Standing before her was a handsome young man carrying a bouquet or roses.  
  
"Wow, those are for me?"  
  
"You are Josie G. Coulson?" he repeated, looking a little unsure of himself as he re-read the name on his clipboard.  
  
"She is," Anita broke in, and the man turned to the brunette.  
  
"Okay, can you sign this? You seem a little less flustered than the real Josie," he asked her, extending his clipboard and his pen.  
  
"Certainly," she told him and jotted Josie's name down onto the paperwork. She returned it to the delivery guy.  
  
"Thanks Miss," he grinned as he glanced appreciatively at her figure then smiled at the blond as he gently set down the gift. "Enjoy your flowers."  
  
"T~Thank you," she replied, flustered, the vase of flowers sitting on her desk.  
  
Anita watched the young man leave, winking at him when he glanced back. Then he turned toward the blond. "Okay, now I know this is a special occasion. Spill! Is it your birthday?"  
  
Josie didn't hear her companion and instead reached for the message tag she spied, buried underneath the roses.  
  
It read:  
  
"My dearest Josie, "But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the East and you, Josie, are the sun." Okay~~~but you know that. I just wanted to let you know that I'm thinking about you and I'm struggling through teaching "Romeo and Juliet," because I can't remember what I'm supposed to be teaching. I am anxiously looking forward to seeing you tonight. Meet me at the Ice Rink this evening at six o'clock, I've got a surprise for you.  
Love, Your Adele Penguin."  
  
"Oh My God!" Josie squealed. "It's from Sam!"  
  
Anita gave her a look. Josie was acting like this Sam was not her husband but perhaps some guy she'd been chasing for some time and had finally noticed her.  
  
"I would hope so. I mean, I can understand a woman cheating on a guy because he's boring or unromantic, excluding Gus," she added carefully, making sure her boyfriend/boss wasn't in earshot of their conversation.  
  
Josie just chuckled.  
  
"But you've got such an adorable, good-looking and caring husband who's obviously extremely romantic too," Anita gushed. "But then that's a given. He reads, teaches and breathes Shakespeare after all. So what special holiday is this that obliges Sam to treat you like a queen?"  
  
"Mmm~~~"Josie sighed as she inhaled the fragrance of the flowers, it was almost as sweet as he was. Almost.  
  
"Josie!"  
  
"O~Oh, it's," Josie mumbled, coming back to reality. "~~~it's me and Sam Anniversary! Our first anniversary of marriage!" she blurted out, and Anita was sure the whole office had heard the announcement.  
  
It took a moment for the information to sink in and then Anita and Josie began screaming uncontrollably.  
"Aagh! That's so great! I'm so happy for you Josie! I can't believe it's already been one year!"  
  
"Read the message he wrote me!" she urged her best friend, shoving the card in her face.  
  
Anita obliged, read it through again and then continued her screaming.  
  
"JOSIE GELLER! You have got to have the most romantic husband in the world! Oh God! Does he have a cousin!"  
  
"Just wait till I tell you what happened last night!" Josie beamed, feeling like she was in high school again and was gossiping over the one line her crush had said to her.  
  
"Um girls, sorry to interrupt this little rendez-vous but Gus wants to see Josie~~~Now!" Merck apologized.  
  
"Okay. Tell him I'll be there in a minute," Josie promised as she knelt under her desk to retrieve the papers from the printer. "Sorry Anita, after the meeting we can have coffee and I'll tell you all about it."  
  
No reply.  
  
Anita was staring at the batch of papers clasped in Josie's hands. "Is that what I think it is?" Without waiting for an answer, she snatched a copy out of her grip and gasped. "It is! It's the anniversary edition of Sam and Josie! Oh you've got to let me have this!"  
  
"No, I've got to get that to Rigfort if I plan to have it headlined in the evening paper!" she lamented, holding out her hand, actually expecting to get it back.  
  
"PLEASE! I've been waiting, oh, about a YEAR to read this!"  
  
Josie was touched by her insistence. It just proved there was actually people who were waiting for her stories. And that never ceased to amaze her.  
  
"Okay, just can you print out one more on my computer so I have one to give to Rigfort when I get back?" she gave in while straightening the left over papers in her hand. Being organized was key if you didn't want to be ridiculed by Gus during a meeting.  
  
"I will! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" she cried, placing the article against her chest. "You have made my day! Tell Sam "Happy Anniversary!" for me!"  
  
"I will and you're welcome," Josie giggled, shaking her head as she watched her friend dance around the office, waving her article around gloating, "I'm the first in Chicago! I'm the first in Chicago!" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Josie Geller," Gus drawled, turning from the window to face his desk when he heard her come in.  
  
"It's~~~It's Coulson," she corrected immediately. "I'm married!" she gushed, like a newly-wed should.  
  
"I remember," he shot back. "I expect that you've got you article?" he added with a huff.  
  
"YES!" she piped up and confidently handed him the pink folder containing her prized-article, minus the hearts.  
  
"T~thank you." Josie scrutinized him as he pulled the document from the folder and skimmed it for a second then slammed it down.  
  
"So what do you think? You think Rigfort will put it in the evening paper?"  
  
"Rigfort might, but I'm certainly not interested in on an update of the story that almost cost me my job!" Gus barked, throwing the article back at her. "The article I'm trying to get a hold of is the exclusive I asked you to compile on the President of "Cookies n' Milk Co."  
  
"Oh~~~right," she stammered, struggling to keep her bearings. "It's also the story that saved your butt!" she thought to herself and if she wasn't careful, she might have said it.  
  
She dug into her briefcase for her purple folder and handed it to her boss who practically yanked it out of her hand.  
  
"YES!YES!" he shouted, his frown replaced by a big greedy smile. "Cookies n' Milk Co: 50 mil or BUST!" You're a GENIUS! The title alone is Pulitzer Prize material!"  
  
Wow, were those tears coming out of Gus' eyes?  
  
"T~thank you sir. And." She took a deep breath, thinking carefully before she said anything. "Mr. Gus um~~~I've been a major reporter for over an year but it seems the only types of subjects you're having me cover are the not so major ones, like "Cookies n'Milk Co, they aren't going to be on the market till next Spring."  
  
"True."  
  
"And the other article you have me write was about that d.j that didn't want to be a d.j," Josie continued.  
  
"Yes, and how wonderful a job you did that you got him out of a job he didn't want to do," Gus reminded her, absorbed in her chocolate chips and butter cookie filled front page article.  
  
"Gus, I know I screwed up my first undercover but I~~~it's been a year and a few months. I really think I deserve another chance," she stated in a low voice.  
  
Gus pulled himself away from the statistics of how many almonds they planned to use yearly to produce their chocolate chip almond delight to give Josie a surprised look.  
  
"You do, do you?" he snickered.  
  
Josie felt her stomach plummet to the ground but nodded politely but firmly so he could tell that while she was professional, she meant business. She was putting herself out there, she wasn't going to back down now.  
  
"S~sit down for a second, Josie," he suggested and gestured to the seat.  
  
She lowered herself down and stared nervously at Gus, starting to feel nauseous. Ugh! She knew she shouldn't have chowed down that big breakfast. She'd been feeling unwell earlier that morning.  
  
"I'm getting fired," she thought, panicked. "He's going to make sure I don't work in the news business again!"  
  
"You're~~~"  
  
"Oh God! He's serious!" she groaned. "Serious!"  
  
"~~~absolutely correct."  
  
She blinked twice, so sure she had heart him wrong. "What did you say? I thought I heard you say that I was correct."  
  
"And I did. Sweetie, we have been giving you those deadbeat articles to see what you can do with them and you've passed with flying colors!" he beamed, back to being the supportive boss who had sat at the baseball game last May, waiting with her and the rest of the crowd for her "teacher," to appear. "And you've certainly earned yourself a story."  
  
"Uh~~~thank you," Josie murmured as she got to her feet to shake his hand, feeling even more sick to her stomach. "So, when do I get the details?"  
  
"This afternoon, maybe even this evening."  
  
"Oh um~~~boss, I~~~it's my first wedding anniversary and I'm meeting my husband for dinner later," she protested, feeling terrible.  
  
"Not a problem," he said to Josie's relief. "We can arrange for you to get the information tomorrow. I'll take this and send it up and give Rigfort his article," Gus assured her.  
  
"Uh~Okay~~~I will."  
  
Gus looked at his reporter strangely. "Josie, are you okay?"  
  
"Yeah, why?"  
  
"Just, you look like you're drunk," he explained, watching her with worried eyes as she wobbled over to the door. "And you're sweating."  
  
"I feel a little nauseous but I'm sure it's not a problem. I'll just go out and get some fresh air, maybe get something from the vending machine," she told her boss.  
  
"Okay, just~~~take is easy, okay," he cautioned her. "You're one of our star reporters and we can't have you getting sick now."  
  
"I won't," she promised, and exited the door, wondering why she was so breathless.  
  
"So, what did Gus want?" Anita demanded the moment she met Josie's gaze, standing with a group of females also wanting to know, and perhaps, wanting a copy of her "lovey-dovey," article as well.  
  
"Oh uh~~~it seems that I was~~~pr~~~pro~~~"  
  
She never finished her sentence and instead collapsed onto the floor.  
  
Anita walked to the side she was facing and knelt down. "Josie? Are you okay?"  
  
No reply.  
  
Anita let out a scream that was answered promptly by Gus, who came out the room looking characteristically irritated. "What? What's going on here? Can't we keep order? This isn't high school you know," he was barking when his foot hit the body sprawled on the floor. "O~okay. Anita. Call 911. She's dehydrated."  
  
"You sure that's it?" she chittered nervously, biting her nails while Gus seemed to have total control.  
  
"Yeah, she was acting strangely during our meeting," he reported then with a smile he repeated. "So do you wanna dial that number for me, sweetie?"  
  
Anita blushed when he called her "sweetie. "Y~yes, I'll be right back," she replied, then got to her feet and hurried over to the phone.  
  
Okay! Chapter One for ya! Please review! And I left ya'll with a nice cliffie!  
  
Oh wait~~~ I think I can hear Sam's footsteps, and they're getting faster! Give me a review and you'll know what I'm talking about!!!  
  
Lots of love for ya! 


	3. Chapter Two: When Real Life Tops a Dream

WOW SO MANY REVIEWS!!!! I really honestly didn't think I would get so many reviews!!!!!! Thank you so so MUCH! You all rock!!!!! And since you all wanted to know let's get to SAM SAM SAM and JOSIE JOSIE JOSIE shall we?  
  
Please Continue to Read and Review, Total Vaughn Lover  
  
Chapter 2  
  
"May I help you sir?" the nurse inquired to the sexy man who had rushed up to her desk.  
  
"H~hi," Sam panted, slamming his hand down onto the desk, barely stopping to catch his breath. "My name is Sam Coulson, I received a call that my wife was brought here."  
  
"Okay Mr. Coulson, can I have your wife's name please?" she asked sweetly and flirtatiously.  
  
"Josie," he stated, closing his eyes to suppress his tears. "Josie Geller Coulson."  
  
"Just a moment," she crooned and began typing on her computer, completely flustered. Sam couldn't believe how calmly and slowly the receptionist was going about things. Didn't she realize he was worry-stricken and that he wanted be by his wife's side as soon as possible. After all, this was their first anniversary. It wasn't right to spend it alone, let alone in a hospital.  
  
"Hmm~~~I don't' see a Josie Geller on here," the nurse mumbled.  
  
"It's Josie Geller COULSON!" he repeated, his fear of his wife's condition making his voice sound impatient.  
  
"Sir, you're emotionally distressed so I am not going to call you on it but your rudeness is not going to help me get this done any faster for you," she scolded him, no longer flirting with him. There was no point, he was married and it was evident from his concern the only woman he had eyes for was his wife.  
  
Sam stared at her in disbelief, but backed off and went to sit down in the nearest seat. He clasped his hands together and propped his chin onto them.  
  
"Please let me be all right," he prayed, closing his eyes. Tears streamed down his cheeks and mixed with the cold sweat that was forming on his body. "Please God, just let her be okay," he repeated feverishly as though repetition was all that mattered.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"It's that man right there," the nurse whispered to the doctor that had arrived in the reception area.  
  
"What was he doing to you?" the doctor demanded, shooting a glare at the intruding man who, from his point of view," seemed to just be rattled from concern.  
  
"I was trying to help him find out if his wife was here but he wouldn't be patient, and you know I'm just learning how to use the computer, and the way he was acting made me almost have a panic attack!"  
  
"Hey calm down," he told his usually very obnoxious assistant who seemed to be having a panic attack.  
  
"I'm trying~~~" she whimpered, "but I can't with him in the room!" she started hyperventilating.  
  
"He's a patient, what do you want me to do about it?" he thought as he gently rubbed her back. He glanced at the clock. "When's the last time you had a break?"  
  
"Uh~~~not for five hours! Cindy was supposed to come in but she never did! And she knows I can't~~~"  
  
"Why don't you take five," Dr.Andrews told her, extending a paper bag that she promptly put to her mouth and began breathing into it. "I'll take care of him, call for a replacement, and man the desk till she gets here."  
  
"O~Okay," she gasped between gasps. "T~Thank you."  
  
"Yup, take it easy. I don't' want to go out to the Emergency Bay and find you've gone hypoctic," he warned her. She nodded and went on her way, wheezing as she did.  
  
The doctor kept an eye on her for another second, then stepped up to the young man who was now crying, covering his face with his hands.  
  
"Hey," he greeted, adopting a friendly tone. "Can I help you?"  
  
Sam raised his head and gazed at the doctor with his blood-shot eyes. "I don't' know. I went up to the nurse and she was too busy being ditzy to take me seriously."  
  
"Um Mr.~~~"  
  
"Sam~~~Sam Coulson," he answered, wiping his hand on the side of his pants.  
  
"Mr. Coulson, I understand your frustration but I must ask you to refrain from belittling my team," the doctor put in seriously. "This is a hospital and we get cases like this all the time. And we ask that the families of our patients cooperate with everyone on our staff. I think you realized your harassing our nurses didn't get you very far," Dr. Andrews reasoned taking a seat next to him.  
  
"I~I didn't mean to do that," he apologized as he leaned forward on his elbows. "It's just that I got pulled out my class for an emergency cal. Finding out Josie was take to the hospital was bad enough. I thought I'd been called to the wrong hospital when the nurse said she couldn't find her. It turned out she didn't put in the correct last name. And my patience was running low."  
  
Dr. Andrews nodded his head with understanding.  
  
"I didn't mean to bark at her," Sam continued and his voice cracked horribly. "I just wanted to see her, you know. It's my first anniversary with Josie and I'm not ready to lose her just yet."  
  
"It's understandable, Mr. Coulson," he repeated and squeezed him on the shoulder. "And you know what, I can help you out, bud."  
  
Sam looked at him, his eyes filled with innocence and hope. "You can?"  
  
"Yeah, your wife is a blond right? Curly blond hair, skin like porcelain? Big green eyes?" he inquired, the husband who nodded.  
  
"That's her. Do you know where she is?" Sam demanded, seeing a ray of light for the first time since he entered the hospital.  
  
"Yeah, as a matter of fact I do," he told him with a smile then held out is hand, "I'm Dr. Christopher Andrews. I'm the one who saw your wife when she came in."  
  
"She's good. She fainted from what they thought was dehydration at work. We assumed that too and so we're giving her fluids right now," the doctor reported cheerily. "So no worries."  
  
Sam let out a sigh of relief.  
  
"But there is something I want to discuss with you first," the doctor added, still looking very happy. "You want to come with me for a second?"  
  
Sam followed the doctor to the door behind the administration desk then followed him in on his beckoning and sat down on seat before he collapsed onto the floor, overwhelmed with relief.  
  
'I know what you're thinking. We don't usually allow patients back here due to patient confidentiality but somebody needs to watch this desk until my replacement comes in," Dr. Andrews replied, responding to his unasked question. "And I do have to talk to you. I'm going to keep it real brief though since I know you want to see your wife."  
  
But Sam had already forgotten that. Sure, he wanted to see her, he wanted to see her open her eyes like she were waking up from a dream and scoop her up into his arms. But he wanted to hear what the doctor had to say first. He could barely keep himself from strangling the doctor as he innocently made a phonecall to page a nurse to take over reception.  
  
"So what's wrong with her?" he burst out before the doctor had put the phone back on its' receiver.  
  
"Mr. Coulson, don't look so alarmed, I never said the news was bad," Dr. Andrews chided him as he wrote on his clipboard. "I just said we needed to discuss something."  
  
There was an awkward silence that followed as Sam waited for the doctor to finish whatever he was concentrating on.  
  
"Right, the first question I have for you is if you'll be able to take time off of work to go to monthly check ups with your wife to the obstrecian."  
  
Sam was silent. Obstrecian? Wasn't that a baby doctor?  
  
"And the second question is when you'll want to take your pre-birth classes," he added as he tapped his pen on the table. "They can be early on in the pregnancy but we prefer that you take them around 28 to 32 weeks."  
  
When the doctor didn't get a reply, he look up to gauge the expecting father's reaction.  
  
Sam was staring at the table and a second later, when he lifted his head, there was a confused but hopeful expression on his face. "Dr. Andrews, forgive me for saying this but~~~my wife isn't pregnant."  
  
"You sure about that?" he inquired, looking a bit disappointed. "Because we ran a blood test on her, then we ran a pregnancy test and~~~well, the tests are conclusive."  
  
"B~but I thought that she was supposed to have morning sickness~~~"Sam stated, then he cut himself off as the wheels started to turn in his head. "Wait a minute, she was nauseated this morning."  
  
"You two are married, correct? I mean~ you have~~~consumated your relationship?"  
  
Sam bit his lip, looking quite uncomfortable to be asked that question so directly by a medical professional.  
  
"I'm only asked pertaining to the medical reasons, it's either that or your wife has been doing something she shouldn't be," he hinted and the doctor chuckled when he realized Sam was taking him seriously. "I'm kidding, Mr. Coulson."  
  
"Oh," he sighed and his face visibly relaxed as he let out a breath. "Does she know?" he asked then, not knowing why his voice had dropped to a whisper.  
  
"N~No," he replied. "She was out when I was taking blood from her. I'm guessing she's either bad with needles or can't stand the sight of blood.  
  
"Maybe~~~I know I'm not too good with that stuff," Sam rebuked, shuddering at the thought of getting a veni-puncture, or any type of puncture period.  
  
"Well, I think this is perfect. It's your wedding anniversary and you can tell her she's pregnant. I strongly felt she might not like to hear about it from a doctor who just made her miserable. And besides it's a special moment between you two, go enjoy it."  
  
"Oh I will," he beamed, already a proud papa. "How long has she been pregnant?"  
  
"Three weeks. We got her to the hospital just before she would require her first check up," Dr. Andrews told him as he collected a variety of pamphlets from the drawers. "We give these during the first check up, but obviously you're not going to require that," he explained as he put about ten booklets in his hands.  
  
Sam briefly skimmed the title. He was overwhelmed, seemed there was a lot more to becoming a parent than he'd realized. He'd been teaching kids for a few years now but right now he suddenly felt nineteen again, not a care in the world, wondering where the time had gone when he'd amused himself with G.I Joe's. He suddenly wasn't sure if they were ready to have a baby.  
  
"Hey Chris, you needed a replacement?"  
  
Dr. Andrews looked up and smiled at the pretty young woman standing in the doorway. "Yeah, I've got to take this expecting father to is baby's mother before he loses his mind. I'll be back in five minutes, will you watch this desk, page me if you need me."  
  
The replacement nodded as she took her seat. Dr. Andrews then turned to Sam, who he couldn't believe was looking more nervous, if that was even possible. He literally looked like he was ready to wet his pants. "You ready to deliver the good news, Mr. Coulson?"  
  
"Uh~~~yeah."  
  
"Great," the doctor grinned. "Follow me."  
  
`~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Meanwhile Josie was nestled in her bed in a recovery room. But she was everything but restful.  
  
She was in a state that she knew had to be a dream but couldn't believe it because of how tangible everything was.  
  
She was standing in what looked like a college classroom. The rows and rows of ascending desks was a dead give away.  
  
"What am I doing here?" she wondered as she looked around the room. The only thing she could conclude was that this was Sam's room and he was going to walk through the classroom doors any minute.  
  
She looked over at the good-sized wooden desk that was sitting on the right side of the room, and went over to it and sat down in the comfortable looking desk chair, suddenly overwhelmed by fatigue. She laid back and twiddled with a pen, waiting for something to happen.  
  
Nothing did.  
  
"She tapped her fingers on the chestnut finish then after a few moments began sorting through the drawers not sure of what she was looking for.  
  
Then she spied a large pile of papers that looked suspiciously familiar. And in the next instant, she knew what it was. It was Sam's novel.  
  
She reached for the bulky object, held neatly together with three huge binder clips and set it before her.  
  
She then stared at it, feeling as though she were treading on forbidden ground, therefore her fingers hesitated before she opened it to the first page.  
  
Sam would never forgive her, even if he loved her. there was just some things even wives couldn't do.  
  
But then again~~~this was a dream. There was no way he could find out. And really, what were the chances the novel would even be accurate?  
  
She flipped the blank page over and revealed on the next page was a title page.  
  
Actually it was a page of several titles some of them had asterisks next to them and others had been crossed out so viciously, it was obvious that the writer wanted to make sure they could never be read again.  
  
She fawned over the ones he felt were good and then drove herself crazy trying to figure out what lied beyond the scribbled mess.  
  
Finally after she pulled herself away from the titles (i.e "Dear Josie," "Meant to be?"). She flipped through another title pate, a lengthy author's note and acknowledgements. She debated whether she should read through the dedication then decided she'd seen enough. Some things she wanted to keep a surprise for later, plus she was sure Sam would be able to see through it if she tried to act like she was seeing it for the first time.  
  
She heard the unmistakable creak of the door.  
  
Josie raised her head in shock. There he was, Sam Coulson, swinging his briefcase as he bounded down the steps, his heels echoing off the walls sounded more deafening in the empty room.  
  
"Crap!" she yiped as she hurridely shoved the book into its' former position in the drawer. Then she scrambled off his desk and decided to stand next to it, just as Sam reached the ground level.  
  
Josie felt herself falling in love again as she watched him seat himself in his chair. He was just as handsome at that moment as he'd been the first moment she'd laid eyes on him. In face he was wearing the same outfit of a white shirt under a nice blue collared shirt, coordinated with a pair of darker blue pants and polished leather shoes.  
  
He leaned back, stretched into the air, then popped open his briefcase and pulled out what curiously looked like a picture frame, which he set on the desk.  
  
Josie peered carefully over his shoulder. It was one of the pictures South Glenn High's paparazzi had taken of her and Sam when they'd spent an afternoon painting a backdrop for their prom scene.  
  
She blushed and stumbled backwards, completely mortified. She made a mental note to herself not to find the picture frame if it even existed.  
  
That was until she heard Sam chuckle as he pulled out a stack of ungraded term papers and then let out a contented sigh.  
"I can never get enough of you, Josie, especially in this picture," she heard him mutter and felt it safe too back over at him. He was staring dreamily at the picture and she could barely stiffle her giggle.  
  
"Especially with that yellow on your forehead," he continued, laughing.  
  
For a second Josie wondered if he could actually see her and wished she could vanish on the spot. And hey, it was a dream. Maybe it could happen.  
  
"Hmm~~~better buckle down and get to work it if have any hope of talking to Josie tonight before she goes to sleep," she heard him mumble to himself. Then he shook his body out as though that was all he needed to do to reenergize himself for the tedious task of appreciating term papers written by students who had little appreciation for the English language then set to work.  
  
Josie expected Sam to read the first line, maybe skim the body of the paper, write some comments and then put a letter grade at the top of the paper. But in actuality, he sat there for about five minutes absorbed in the words, not picking up his red pen once, while she, who was reading over his shoulder would have picked up the pen every two lines. Sam however didn't seem to notice it seemed impossible but Mr. Coulson was actually reading it purely for context.  
  
She watched as he laughed at the amusing quirks and his brow furrowed when he he could feel the writer's frustration, and his forehead produced two distinct wrinkles at moment of sorrow.  
  
It was obvious he liked what he did from the way he acted. He was leaned back, with his legs crossed, pure delight in his face as though he were enjoying a good book. Josie was suddenly angered that his ex- girlfriend had once upon a time tried to steal this from Sam, asked him to throw away what he loved most and become a part of her firm in New York.  
  
She couldn't bring herself to believe that Alice had ever loved him. She knew she loved Sam but she could never him to give up what he enjoyed most, just like she wouldn't expect him to ask her to give up her love for words. Quite frankly, she was sure that both of them would go insane without words as a big aspect of their lives.  
  
She continued to watch him for a few minutes mores, not a moment of it was boredom. He just looked very attractive when he was serious. She had to admit his gentle but firm way of pulling a class under control was very appealing.  
  
The door creaked open again, Sam didn't stray his eyes from what he was doing and hers would have immediately redirected themselves toward the noise if Sam wasn't acting peculiar.  
  
"Hey Sam."  
Josie's heart gave a nasty squeeze as she recognized it was a female voice addressing her husband. And how heartbroken she sounded too.  
  
It was obvious Sam was thinking for his head snapped up the next second and his expression was that of concern.  
  
"Ms. Leosis," he gasped. "what happened to you?"  
  
That was the same thought running through Josie's mind as she turned her head, only to witness her former classmate Kirsten Leosis speed past her and barrel into Sam, pushing him down against the table, and then to Josie's horror, began kissing him with her extremely pouty lips.  
  
Josie felt her heart shatter into a million different pieces especially when she saw Sam's hand come around her head and responded to her kiss. She was swept by an overwhelming bout of jealousy, which she'd always had towards Kirsten who was only the most popular girl of South Glenn High's class of 1999, with her long legs, perfect face, beautiful figure and tanned skin while Josie always felt too pale, too blond and too curvy.  
  
The only one who'd been able to pull her out of that run had been her husband Sam, who she'd always feared she would lose to somebody, that she would never be good enough for.  
  
And now it seemed her worst nightmare was coming true.  
  
She could barely keep from breakign down completely as she looked over at them again. Only this time Kristen was in an utter state of shock, totally speechless as she walked away mumbling to herself until Sam grabbed one wrist and jerked her back.  
  
"Sam! What do you think you're doing!" she shrieked, tears rolling down her cheeks, staining her perfect complexion.  
  
"What do you mean what am I doing?" he stammered, looking completely innocent. "You're the one that came up to~~~"  
  
SMACK!  
  
Josie watched as Sam stumbled backwards, reacting to the slap Kirsten had given him. It had to be pretty hard to leave the red handprint that now displayed on his face.  
  
"I can't believe you, Mr. Coulson! You're married, what are you doing making advances toward me!" Kirsten screamed and Josie found herself looking with disbelief at her husband. The current situation was altering her judgement. "I mean Josie is pregnant! IF you wanted me, you shouldn't have made that mistake!"  
  
"Kirsten, I'm not going to scream at you because something is obviously going on with you. Now why don't you tell me what that is," Sam suggested in an eerily calm tone, as he folded his arms.  
  
"No! The reason you're not going to say anything is because you're the one who tried to rape me!" she shrieked tears rolling down her cheeks, and her body trembled as though there was an invisible draft in the room.  
  
"I should wash your mouth out with soap!" Sam thundered as he knelt down to father his papers. "Lying to a teacher is almost as bad as cursing, Ms. Leosis. I would have expected more respect from you."  
  
"Oh no, don't' put this on me! You're the one who's been looking at me. I saw checking me out at our reunion," she put in accusingly, her eyes flashed with her anger. "And then you hugged me."  
  
Josie was sure she's fallen into the depths of hell. Sweet, honest Sam Coulson~~~where had he gone?"  
  
"Only because it was so nice to see you again. And I also hugged Ms. Kristen Ray, and Ms. Gibby Zarefsky, and I think I even kissed Aldys on the hand," Sam admitted, then his anger slipped and he let out a chuckle. "You know Kirsten, I know you were checking me out all senior year but I didn't embarrass you and because you had those feelings, I didn't think that you would react this way."  
  
"Are you trying to justify your behavior towards me?" Kirsten gasped, looking as Sam as though he'd committed the ultimate betrayal. "Damn, wouldn't Josie love this?"  
  
"Leave my wife out of this, young lady," he commanded her. "And just so you know, you've got two seconds to apologize to me before I got to the Dean and give you restraining order from this institution.  
  
"Hey, you're a teacher so you may not really give a damn about reunions but I do, and if you lift a finger to ruin so much as second of my week here, I'll go to Josie myself and tell her what happened," she sneered haughtily. "Then I'll go to the Dean myself and file for harassment and I think you know what would happen there I don't' know about you but I don't' think you'll be able to support your child everywhere without a job and what a father you'll make being a sex offender."  
  
"Listen to me, Kirsten," Sam said as calmly and monotone as he could. "Nothing happened here~~~"  
  
"Then why are you shaking?"  
  
Sam didn't have a response to that. Then he watched as Kirsten ascended the stairs, contemplating exactly what happened here.  
She found him literally sweating as he sat down at his desk. And he had good reason to be as far as Josie was concerned. She watched him as he pulled out another paper but she noticed immediately that his eyes wouldn't stare long at the paper before his hands got so shaky that that slammed his paper down.  
  
"Three more days," she heard him whine. "She'll be gone in three more days, Sam, just hold it together."  
  
Oh no, did this mean Sam had been fighting his urges or did he just really miss her?  
  
And where was she in this dream?  
  
She got her answer the next second.  
  
Sam was writing flimsy comments on his paper when his cell phone decided to ring. He picked it up with a shaky hand and peered at the name on the screen.  
  
Josie.  
  
She watched him pick up the phone then smiled at her. "Josie? Hey, how are you sweetie?"  
  
"You didn't call I was getting worried," she heard Sam croon like a love sick puppy. "I was just getting ready to call you."  
  
"Me? OH, I'm still at school, trying to get through all my paper work, you know, final papers so I can send these eager college students to summer. Hopefully I won't have to keep any of them for summer school, heaven knows I need a vacation."  
  
"Well, I might pull a few strings. I'm going to do the most that I possibly can. I~I'm going to need time with the baby to become an adequate father."  
  
"Well are you taking care of yourself? What! What do you mean my voice is shrill? No~nothing's wrong. I~I'm just tired. Yeah, I'm also tired of going to sleep in an empty bed. So don't you dare tell me you have another extension, you need to get home and get some rest."  
  
"I know, I know," he huffed, trying not to come off as irritated. 'You're just doing your job, I~I'm just worried about you, I don't' want you getting all stressed out since you're so late into pregnancy."  
  
"And I guess I should let you get some sleep," he said with a touch of finality to his voice. "Okay~~~I love you too, bye bye."  
  
Josie was now positive this was a dream. It had to be, Sam had blatantly lied on the phone to her. She knew he wouldn't do that to her in real life.  
  
Would he?  
  
"I didn't do anything," he said to himself feverishly as though he was having a hard time trying to convince himself of that fact. She assumed he was probably think why he was freaking out if he hadn't and nothing had happened. She wanted to suddenly materialize there and give him the shock of his life, but unfortunately that didn't seem to be one of the elements she had control over in the dream world.  
  
"Just get me outta here," she pleaded, as tears tumbled down her cheeks. She crouched on the floor and began to cry.  
  
"Josie, Josie," she heard a male voice call out to her.  
  
"No~~~not today mister. Give me a few hours to swallow what just happened," she barked feeling very mean but also feeling perfectly fine with it.  
  
"Josie~~~"Sam sounded almost whiny. When had he gotten so pathetic?  
  
"JOSIE!" she heard say briskly then felt someone grip her wrist very strongly.  
  
Her eyes flashed open and she found herself staring directly at her husband's face which was about one foot away from hers. His brows were furrowed, his forehead creased, and his sparkling green eyes had been dulled with worry.  
  
"S~Sam?"  
  
"Y~you're awake!" he beamed, his face lighting up instantly with a smile. "Man Josie, you gave me a good scare. You were talking in your sleep, I thought you were getting delirious but you weren't running a fever~~~I was just about to get Dr. Andrews," he continued rambling on as though he'd just run home from school and had to tell his mom everything in one minute that he didn't realize Josie was crying,  
  
"Honey? Are you okay?"  
  
She didn't say a word. She instead pulled hesrelf up in her bed then held her arms out signaling that she needed a hug.  
  
Sam obliged and pulled her into his built arms and rubbed her back, making soothing noises.  
  
"I~I just h~had the worst nightmare," she blubbered, her words dissolved into ununderstandable sobs.  
"Oh, I'm sorry, Josie. But I'm here and I love you. Everything is going to be okay," he repeated, kissing her on the cheek then on the forehead. "Would you feel better if you talked about it?" he asked then, as he loosened his hold so she could move back, she only went far enough so that their foreheads were still touching.  
  
She saw how concerned and eager to help her husband was and suddenly felt silly, a whirling six year old inside of a grown woman's body.  
  
"It's~~~it's probably going to sound really stupid," she warned him, cracking an embarrassed smile.  
  
"Nothing you say is stupid," he promised her.  
  
"Okay~~~I just dreamed that you cheated on me," she began very bluntly. "I was away and I saw you were grading papers and then~~~Kirsten came through the door, then slammed you against the desk and~~~' she came to an abrupt pause, tears clogged her throat, rendering her unable to speak then she let out a sob that sounded as though it'd been suppressed and finally exploded from her diaphragm.  
  
"Kirsten?" Sam inquired, completely clueless. "Who?"  
  
"Leosis, you know the beauty queen."  
  
Sam's eyes widened as recognition hit him. "Leosis, you mean from South Glen High?"  
  
"One of the three that prowled the school like they owned the place."  
  
"Well, you just push away whatever you saw because it's not true. Kirsten got into a cheer school along with Kristen and Ms. Zarefsky," he reminded her. "They're nowhere near Chicago."  
  
"Yeah, b~but~~~I don't know I'm afraid it's going to happen, not that I don't' trust you but it was eerie, it felt so real. None of my dreams have ever been that tangible."  
  
"Sweetie, I believe you okay?" he cajoled her realizing his tone didn't sound too comforting. "Is there anything in this dream that seems like something I can tell you will or will not happen in the near future."  
  
"W~well, there was me, I was gone, you talked to me through a cell phone. And then there was your book sitting in your desk."  
  
"Did you read it?" he panicked. "Because I hope you know Sam's desk in a dream requires the same respect as Sam's desk in real life."  
"N~No," she lied. "And the Kirsten things, she was in town because of a South Glen reunion that's supposed to happen spring quarter of next year. "And~~I was pregnant, that was the worst part, you cheated on me while I was pregnant!"  
Josie began sobbing again and handsome Sam's heart broke. He couldn't bear to watch her cry.  
  
"Josie, I'm going to be honest with you, one of them that you mentioned is true."  
  
Josie's face scrunched up as though she was going to start blubbering once again.  
  
"Now before you start crying, my book is not in my desk at work. It won't remain private if it was there. And I have the calendar for special events as the special events coordinator and I know there is no South Glen High reunion," Sam coaxed her, rubbing her tears away with the corner of his thumb, not to smudge her eyeliner. "And don't you think the high school I taught at would tell me there's a reunion coming up months in advance?"  
  
Josie considered this and to her great relief, what he said made sense. "But what about Kirsten?"  
  
"What about her?" he shot back, nonchalantly.  
  
"Did she like you? I mean, I know you're modest so I'm going to be quite frank, you're the hottest high school teacher I've ever laid eyes on."  
  
"Hmm~~~thanks," he said with a modest smile. "Y~yeah, those three always tried to get me to dance with them at Homecoming but our relationship is purely, student-teacher, if that."  
  
"So what part is the truth then?" she inquired, biting her lip, she wasn't sure she wanted to hear this.  
  
"Couldn't you guess?"  
  
Josie shook her head, clearly not getting it. That was also why she couldn't understand why he looked so giddy, so absolutely pleased.  
  
"J~Josie~~~baby~~~I don't know how to break this to you other than just to come out and say it, you're pregnant."  
  
She just stared at him.  
  
"Honey, did you hear me/" he whispered. "We're going to have a baby!"  
  
"N~Now?" she gasped.  
  
"Yeah, well, I mean you conceived. It's going to be eight months before we'll be able to hold him or her in our arms, but yeah~~~we're going to be parents."  
"Oh my gawd! Sam!' she shrieked, tears starting to form, overwhelmed by happiness.  
  
"I know. I couldn't believe it when Dr. Andrews told me," Sam cried. "I almost fainted when they told me you were in the hospital. But now it all makes sense. You being nauseated this morning, your passing out at work, it's because your body's going through changes, big changes if you know what I mean, wife of mine," he said with a grin, squeezing her shoulders.  
  
She closed her eyes and tried to swallow everything.  
  
"That means I've got to come to the hospital each month, and I'll get all those weird food urges," she suddenly whined.  
  
"Most likely."  
  
"B~but, I hate the hospital. I've never so much as broken my arm," she whimpered. "Didn't you hear me? I fainted while they were drawing blood. I don't think I'm ready to have my stomach cut open."  
  
Sam found her bout of anxiety cute. "We'll worry about delivery a little bit later down the line. And as soon as I get back to school I'm going to tell the good news so they can start dealing with my missing work one day of the month as early as possible."  
  
"Okay."  
  
"Josie," he said, suddenly a lot more serious. "I know I'm young and I have no experience but I promise you, I'm ready to grow up. I will be there for every doctor's appointment and I will assist you in every way I can to make these nine months more bearable and let you know that they are so going to be worth it."  
  
He was referring to the "I don't want to grow up," speech he'd given her while they'd been on the ferris wheel.  
  
"Aww, thanks Sam, that's so sweet," she murmured as she mussed up his hair. "You've already been a perfect husband for a full year, I don't doubt you're going to make an excellent father."  
  
Sam melted with those words like chocolate on a marshmallow simmering on a stick over an open fire. "I love you so much, Josie."  
  
She pulled his face to hers and kissed him in response. He prolonged what was supposed to be a five second kiss and then after breaking away from her mouth, he lowered his head to kiss her on the stomach. "And I love you too."  
  
Josie giggled when he looked up, blushing furiously.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
His gaze lingered on her face for one more second as though he didn't believe her. "Okay, well, I got the discharge papers, if you want to get out of here. And maybe we should postpone our anniversary plans, just to be safe. I should probably get you to bed. You must be exhausted."  
  
"Honey, that's life," she laughed, rolling her beautiful eyes that glittered like sapphire. "And don't you have to get back to work?"  
  
"You're right," he agreed pulling his cell phone from his pocket. "I should check in telling them that I'm not going to be coming back in, I should also call up my teammates and cancel hockey practice."  
  
"No, you go back to work and go to hockey practice," she cut in. "And our plans for tonight are going as planned."  
  
"B~but you just passed out. Are you sure you're up for this tonight?" he stammered, completely ready to drop his plans.  
  
"Honey, I'll have Anita pick me up and take me back to work, you go do your thing and I'll meet you at the ice rink, like we planned."  
  
"D~do you really think that's a good idea?"  
  
"Sam, I'm not sick or anything. I'm pregnant. That's got to be a sign that I'm healthy."  
  
"Yeah~~~just, I don't want you passing out at work again."  
  
"I won't," she argued with him. "I'll see you at the ice rink at six."  
  
"Fine," he exhaled, giving in, "don't' be late."  
  
She nodded, gave him another embrace and Sam finally went on his way.  
  
Josie's room was now empty and she took advantage of it, by laying down against the cream-colored pillows, inside her heart was screaming, "I'm Sam's baby! I'm having Sam's baby!"  
  
The nightmare long forgotten, no longer preying on the edges of her  
mind, she closed her eyes, intending onto to get a few moments of peaceful sleep.  
  
Please REVIEW! Thanks! Hope you all like what's going on! Don't worry, I love Sam and Josie together, just you know, you need a little tension, at least in my writing!!!  
  
Things are about to get whacked, but I'll give you one more chapter of just bliss!!!  
  
I don't' write without feedback so keep it comin!!!  
  
Love ya'll, Total V. Lover 


	4. Chapter Three: Sam, Josie and a Marshmal...

OH MY GOD! THANKS FOR ALL THE REVIEWS! YOU ALL TRULY ROCK! FINALLY I'VE UPDATED FOR YOU! PLEASE KEEP REVIEWING! I LOVE YOU ALL!!!  
  
Never Been Pregnant Total Vaughn Lover  
  
Chapter Two  
  
Sam Coulson stole the puck from who he thought was an unworthy opponent at the moment, made a quarter turn with his stick then sped off to the other end where the ice was clear.  
  
Standing in front of him, creating a barricade before the goal post he needed to get to to get a score were not one buy three of his semi- skilled opponents, also former students of his at South Glen High.  
  
Three. Okay. So this was an amateur game, similar to a backyard game of basketball where making a slam dunk was a matter of jumping a few inches if you were six feet tall. But adrenaline pumped through his body nonetheless as though he were one point away from winning the National Hockey Championship.  
  
What could he say, he loved the sport and if he wasn't at home or in the classroom, on the ice was where he belonged.  
  
Not that Josie particularly approved of his obsession with becoming the next Wayne Gretzky, especially when he came home, dragging his bloody knees. But sometimes a guy had to do what a guy had to do.  
  
"Come on Coulson, either score or get off the ice," taunted a player who was almost as veteran to the sport as he was, one of his former students, Jason Way.  
  
Ooh, did Mr. Way make the mistake of challenging Mr. Sam Coulson while he was in his Gretzky rush?  
  
Sam grinned. "You guys sure about this?" he teased back, smirking like a smart ass, a teenager like his practice mates and team mates on the Chicago city hockey team.  
  
"Yeah, hurry it up already!" Guy Perkins, the most inexperienced player boom, sufficing for his lack of skill with his lip, holding his stick so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Very poor technique.  
  
Okay, they'd certainly asked for it. Sam moved his stick against the orange puck then he paused as if to think for half a second before he kicked off on his back skate and slice through the barrier of three men that crumbled as soon as he was five feet from them. Sam gave it the puck a nice smack and it sailed into the net almost too easily.  
  
Tommy, Guy and Jason just stared as their former high school teacher gave them another smirk then pulled his stick off the ice and skated smoothly over to his sports bag, pausing right before he collided into the wall that separate the rink from the empty bleachers.  
  
He carefully placed the stick against the wall then popped the top off his water bottle and took a nice long gulp. Ah! Water, thank god for Water, he thought to himself as the cool liquid trickled down his throat in a refreshing spray.  
  
"So~~~final score~~~10-1," Jason groaned as he skated over to Sam with the other two former seniors of Sam's "Shakespeare "as you like it."  
  
"Hey, you got one point, which is more than I can say for your high school term papers," Sam teased, leaning an elbow against the glass. "And you actually earned this one by yourself."  
  
Guy let out a sarcastic, "ha, ha." He certainly didn't like losing, even more so, not to his high school teacher who was married to the only girl he'd ever really been attracted to.  
  
"Face it Mr. Coulson, you're better than any of us, even with all of us combine you sliced by us like we were a pack of cards," Tommy drawled, rolling his eyes, his voice dripping with jealousy.  
  
"Thanks guys," Mr. Coulson said, floored by their genuine praise.  
  
"Honestly, the U.S team can use you. Why did you go for teaching when you could be the next thing in hockey?" Jason demanded, coming to a halt next to the ruggedy Yale graduate.  
  
"Well~~~I'm not as skilled as I would like to be, but that's not the reason either. I just love literature, the power or words, and in some way I wanted to give something back to the great writers before our time and I thought I could do that by spreading their words, teaching thousands of students about them, and if I'm lucky I'll get them to remember something about Shakespeare, or Charles Dickens or~~~anybody."  
  
Jason, Guy and Tommy exchanged and awkward glance. They thought Sam was a great guy, the coolest high school teacher they'd ever had. (He'd been the head of the prom committee! He had to be) And now that they weren't in high school anymore, they were practically the best of friends, and so they understood it but really preferred he drop the lecture while on the ice and talk about something else.  
  
Anything else.  
  
Heck they'd actually settle for listening about his marital bliss with his wife, their former and coolest classmate ever, Josie and that was saying something since all three guys have been unlucky in love since they'd left their high school sweetheart, who had turned out to be just that, high school sweethearts.  
  
"Oh and I wouldn't' have met Josie if I hadn't been teaching, "Literature," at South Glen High to the class of 1999," Sam added as an after thought, heat creeping into his cheeks, a pleasant smile grew on his face that he didn't bother to hide.  
  
"Oh heaven forbid if that happened," Tommy joked, splattering water over his sweat-drenched spikes. In his opinion Sam being happy came second to a star winning an academy award. He was that freaking happy with the girl.  
  
"Yeah, really," Sam reminded himself. Without Josie, he wouldn't be having the best experience of his life, expecting a baby. Hey, maybe he would have gone to New York and be married to Lara who's last want was probably to have a baby.  
  
"But it you were a big sports star, you could be married to an NFL cheerleader or Miss USA," Jason pointed out, which was his dream.  
  
"First off Jase, does hockey even have cheerleaders?" Guy put in pretty sharply, the way he'd done whenever his friends had teased him about Josie during the spring Josie Geller had been a South Glen High Senior. "And second of all, Sam is happy and who wouldn't be with Josie around?"  
  
"T~thanks," Sam replied, not sure if he meant that in a good way or not. HE had to admit ever since he'd seen Guy and Josie share their slow dance as king and queen of South Glen's prom, he felt very uncomfortable discussing the good of Josie Geller with Guy Perkins.  
  
"Yo! Speaking of Josie, I just realized, isn't today your anniversary?" Tommy demanded as he pulled off his t-shirt, which seemed very foolish since the sweat he'd had was starting to freeze on his body.  
  
Sam stared at his former student with surprise. Here was a guy who only memorized the popular Shakespear lines to woo his sophisticated "sistas" and other than that he never seemed to remember what pages he had to read, or when his assignments were due. Yet somehow, he'd pulled out of his mind the most irrelevant fact to his life, his wedding anniversary.  
  
"Y~yeah, it is~~~I'm surprised you remembered," Sam admitted, admiration clear in his voice. "Especially since you never remembered anything about class except for the fact that you can drink in class."  
  
"Well it's not everyday that an undercover reporter falls in love with the coolest high school teacher and then declares it on a baseball field before the whole school and half of Chicago," Tommy chimed in.  
  
Sam laughed good naturedly. Too true that was. He paused and studied his buddies for a moment and wondered if these kids could be in Ivy League colleges had they actually put forth the effort to try and get in.  
  
"Yo! Speaking of marriage, remember what was even better than that?"  
  
Sam rose an eyebrow in his direction. "No, I'm drawing a blank, I don't think anything tops my wedding." "Or wedding night," he added to himself.  
  
"Man, you stud! You're so freaking devoted!"  
  
"I am," Sam stated confidently.  
  
"Well the bachelor party we threw you, that's got to be a close second," Guy teased, leaning against the wall, his head cocked back. Sam watched as the three friends slapped high -fives.  
  
Yeah. It had been a great party, probably the best one he'd been to since his party days in college. And it not being a typical bachelor party may have added meaning to that fact.  
  
He had one stray thought about that day and found himself remembering the party as though it were just yesterday  
  
(flashback)  
  
"Go on Sam," Josie urged her fiance as they sat together on their bed with Jason, Tommy and Guy standing there before them, all decked out in open shirts and drawstring shorts. Sam had found himself somehow wearing a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up and matching drawstring pants, dressed for the party obviously.  
  
"Yeah come on Sam, this is your last night as a free man where you can flirt with more than one girl and not get negative feedback, fullfill your sexual fantasies," Guy boomed, folding his arms, which ruined his balance. The sun hadn't even gone down yet and he already looked like he'd had too much to drink.  
  
"Well excuse me but why would I want to go out there and find a different girl to spend the night with when Josie is all I want?" Sam demanded, as he pulled his wife-to-be closer to him by putting his arm protectively around her. And he felt same himself whenever he was able to hold Josie in his arms.  
  
"Dude, I know Josie is all you want but this is like traditional man!" Tom put in, his eyes clouded with frustration. "I mean they probably had bachelor parties in Shakespeare's time, only back then they didn't have any bikinis."  
  
"Yeah, baby!" Jason rooted and pumped his fist in the air followed by the hooting of his two friends. They were all grinning like chesire cats, practically drooling over the prospect of seeing their girlfriend and other beautiful girls with almost nothing on.  
  
Sam still clung to Josie, his expression becoming stern. He really couldn't believe how immature high school students were. Hadn't they ever heard of the concept of a man in love his whole life with one woman? Or was he one of the only few men left that actually believed in good o'l romance?  
  
"Sam~~~your fiancee is telling you you can go instead of keeping you tied on a leash so you can help her with wedding invitations," Guy chimed in, though how he'd retained that information in his stone state amazed Sam.  
  
"Probably because Kristin, Kirsten and Gibby threw her a party equivalent to the one you have tonight," Tommy drawled, looking almost as drunk as their leader. "Didn't they, Josie?"  
  
Sam gave his fiancee a look. She noticed his beautiful eyes were studying her and she felt very vulnerable and her skin flushed to a nice rosy color. She didn't know what to say. Sam squeezed her shoulder reassuringly to calm her nerves.  
  
"Uh ~~~yeah, I did go, I mean Kirsten, Kristin and Gibby did go through all that trouble to get all those~~~Um, lifeguards at our party."  
  
Life guards? In other words men with no shirts on, with all that beautiful muscle average Joe's craved for? Had he actually allowed her to go that kind of party? If he had, he must have been blinded by her beauty and not listened to any of the words for context. What could he say, he wanted to give Josie the world. Even if it included a room full of lifeguards.  
  
"Um~~~yeah. I~~~I guess it was kind of cool," she replied with a goofy grin that Sam thought was completely adorable. "But I only looked. I didn't touch," she put in quickly which earned her a very pleased smile from Sam who had just been pondering whether he'd have to start building a six pack.  
  
"Uh, right~~~so anyway, the parties a starting and we shouldn't keep the ladies a waiting," Tom put in, slapping his former teacher on the shoulder. Then he was pummeled in turn by the next two guys.  
  
"Hey guys, I never said I'm going to this thing," Sam protested, glaring at them evenly. Thomas put a hand to his forehead in disdain and made to look like he was fainting, having exhausted all his efforts to get Sam to cave.  
  
"Hey Jason, can you go and help Tom out into the hallway? He looks like he needs a cigarette really bad," Guy asked his friend who happily obliged. He hoisted Tom's heavy arm around his medium shoulders.  
  
"You coming, Guy?"  
  
"Yeah. Give me a second. I'll take care of Sam Coulson for ya," he called back, flashing a white grin at Jason who was falling under the Italian man's weight.  
  
Sam didn't like the sound of that and decided clinging onto Josie was his best bet to prevent being dragged to a night of drinking and sluts, and more importantly, away from the only woman he wanted to spend his time with.  
  
"Sam Coulson, dude, you know that I didn't like high school, right?" Guy began, taking a seat in the makeup chair after moving things off of it. He was sure one of them had been Sam's sock.  
  
"Would you be referring to the academic portion where you turned in, I believe, the final paper, or the social part of which you were king?" Sam drawled, liking the flattery part but wouldn't be swayed. He knew what Guy was going to say next. He'd heard the speech every time he'd had to find some way to pass him.  
  
"Mr. Coulson, seriously, you know me and the guys think you are the coolest high school teacher to ever live."  
  
"Uh~~~yeah, right," Sam replied sarcastically, putting all his attention onto his student as he'd done so many times before.  
  
"And we want you to continue to be cool ya know, and going to this party alone is going to get you up there," Guy beamed, closing his eyes, basking in the warmth only he could feel.  
  
Sam exchanged a look with Josie who was flashing Guy a pretty smile. "It's going to be ruffus, right?"  
  
Guy opened his eyes at exactly that moment and gazed at her with longing in his blue eyes. "Ruffus, exactly," he murmured, his expression filled with wonder. He was always amazed when she said exactly what was going around in his head. A moment that sent handsome Sam into jealousy mode, like he'd experienced full-fledged when Guy and his current fiancee had swayed on the dance floor for their dance as tradition for being named king and queen on prom night.  
  
"Super Ruffus," Guy added, flashing her a genuine grin.  
  
Sam found himself looking at Josie, Guy, then back at Josie again. There was a weary connection there and that bothered him a lot.  
  
"Yeah, so uh~~~If you can convince your upstrung hubby to be that he's not in high school, and that he's going to miss a killer party," Guy concluded and kissed Josie on the cheek as he stood up, then took hold of Sam's hand and gave it a good shake. Sam made sure one of those knuckles popped before he let Guy's hand go. He'd make Guy learn not to kiss his fiancee.  
  
"Oh~~~"he winced as he took his hand back and flexed his fingers.  
  
"Are you okay?" she demanded, then shot Sam an accusatory look.  
  
"Oh yeah, Sam just has a good grip, that's all," Guy shrugged as he reached the door that led to the hallway. "Have a wonderful evening, Josie," he sighed. Seeing them there together stirred a jealousy he hadn't know existed to man, but there was no denying that they looked absolutely perfect together. "Don't take too long, Sam. Tommy's going to go crazier if he doesn't get his alcohol fix soon. You know where it's at, right?"  
  
"Uh yeah, that invitation is laying around here, somewhere," Sam called back then gave him the eyebrow to hint him to get lost.  
  
And Guy did.  
  
He got up, went to the door to make sure it was locked. "Alcohol fix? High school guys, can they be anymore pathetic?" Sam chuckled as he fiddled with the chain on the door. "I mean honestly, they're graduated, they are adults and yet they just look at life as one big party."  
  
He felt a tingle go down his spin when he felt Josie's hands on his shoulders. Then he felt himself grow hard when she traced her finger down his back. He gave a little shiver then turned around and yanked her to his body and kissed her hard, his hands moving feverishly around her as he led her to their bed and laid her down against it.  
  
Josie gently bit his lip and Sam pulled himself a few inches back, and just stared wordlessly into her blue-green irises full of tease. "I don't think there's anything wrong with that," she said suddenly and Sam gave her a look of perplexion. "Of viewing life as one big party. It gives you a rush and keeps things exciting. It makes you feel alive, and," she paused to run her hand through his lightly gelled mane. "And I hope that there's still a little bad boy left in you. I know you're a figure of authority but that's only eight hours a day. Just like I deceive and snitch on people five days out of the week. It's not who I'm marrying, I'm marrying the handsome, beautiful-minded, intelligent, compassionate, fun- loving twenty-seven year old, Sam Coulson." She kissed him between each adjective and Sam began to blush.  
  
"You really want me to go huh?" Sam said with a tired sigh. "You think it's that important?"  
  
"We breathe Shakespeare, Mr. Coulson, and Shakespeare's life was all about being romantic, keeping to the family traditions and a bachelor party is one of them," she explained then added, " and you'll have the chance to live out your most outrageous sexual fantasies."  
  
Sam glanced down at Josie and smirked. "Highly doubtful. Of course unless you will show up to the party." He took one look at Josie's expression and rolled his eyes. "Which you're not, obviously."  
  
"Sorry, I'm not a working girl, not in that sense anyway," she corrected, feeling humiliation from her blunder. "But you should do the whole party thing, you told me you used to drink in college."  
  
"Yeah, well that was the only way to prove that we weren't a bunch of stuffed shirts. And then again, I had nobody to live for in my life. It didn't really matter if I made it the next day or not. Nobody was waiting around for me. Sure, I had friends but they weren't good enough to miss me if I ever overdosed," Sam paused and gave Josie his dreamiest expression. "But now I do, I have someone that I not only have to live for but want to live to see as many days as our creator will give me."  
  
Josie felt a tear spring to her eye. Sam's voice was so poetic and his words were that much more beautiful. She could spend hours just listening to him talk. "Okay, so you don't want to touch any girls or drink till you pass out. T~then why don't you just go to please your friends? I know the hard work, Tommy, Jason and Guy put it to throw you the most ruffus bachelor party imaginable. They do look up to you and as corny as that sounds, they really did want to do something for you. If not for anything else, go so they'll know their hard work was worth it."  
  
Sam tried to think of a protest but nothing would come out, he sat up, joined momentarily by Josie who leaned into his shoulder. "Okay, so say I~~~go. What about you? What are you going to do, because I'm not about to leave you alone in a hotel room five days before our wedding," he harrumphed.  
  
"Oh, don't' worry about that. I've got plenty of food and fics to last me a week. And Besides, this week and all this planning we've done in this month has been so hectic, I'm burnt out. I could use the time to rest," she promised him. She then put a hand to her mouth to cover up her oncoming yawn.  
  
"Y~You sure?' he asked finally to Josie who had pulled herself up to the pillows and curled into a ball.  
  
She nodded, blinking her sleepy eyes.  
  
"Okay, I guess I'm going since my beautiful, talented, perfect, humble, honest and devoted sexy Josie Geller wants me to," he sighed and kissed her between each adjective, landing the last one on her nose. "You need get some sleep then, okay. I'll see you when I get back, and if you need anything, you've got my number. And maybe you can surprise me by being up, waiting to fullfill my wildest sexual fantasy."  
  
"And that would be?"  
  
"You~~~wearing a whipped cream bikini, on top of underwear or not is your choice," he murmured huskily as he trailed kisses down her soft neck, "oh and you've got to be carrying my favorite dark chocolate, Dove. You know I'm crazy about that stuff, baby girl and I think I'm going to need it if I have to hand around a bunch of kids all night long."  
  
"Well, we'll see," she giggled, arching her neck back. "You be careful out there, okay? And the keyword, what's the keyword, Sam?"  
  
"Not to get stoned or scold others from doing it?" he put in lamely as he put his wallet into his back pocket and grabbed his sunglasses from the dresser.  
  
"F~U~N. Baby. Have fun, okay?"  
  
Sam nodded. "But don't be surprised if I come back in a few hours," he called back with one hand on the doorknob. He turned his head only to witness Josie was deep in dreams. He grinned at the sight then finally left the room, closing the door softly behind him, trying to be excited about what could happen the next few hours.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Next Sam found himself visualizing the bachelor party as though it were yesterday.  
  
He distinctly remembered how many girls had been there. He'd been so bored and so lovesick for Josie that he couldn't think straight and he was a grouch to every girl he'd met. He'd actually ended up looking at the girls, only to be count them like sheep while he downed glasses of iced tea after the one shot of vodka he'd treated himself to with salt, a slice of lime, the whole nine yards.  
  
He also could see the huge bonfire, the magical pool that was filled with throngs of people he assumed were random college students looking for a good time. It had been beautiful really, just one look at the place and it was easy to tell that a lot of thought had gone into this set up. Every bar seat down to every torch had been placed just right to serve its' just purpose. It really was a killed beach party. Very hot, with the smell of tropical flowers floating in the warm summer breeze, a Jamaican band played beats that Sam loved listening to and all around the atmosphere was positive with couples making out and other groups screaming with the many game booths scattered throughout the tropical paradise.  
  
Only over Sam did a black cloud hang. He'd tried to hang out with Guy and his friends but suddenly he felt too old and he didn't want to partake in their idea of fun anyway.  
  
Now he was contemplating on getting another strong shot to loosen himself up when he'd finished his ice tea, only a certain blond had actually caught his eye. She was standing a good few feet away from him, but he could still tell her eyes glistened and she was smiling, even if her was half-covered with genie-type veil. He actually picked up only subtle pick-up signs, which was a great change to the direct girls who made it clear they wanted to strip down.  
  
Hmm. She seemed nice enough. Talking, talking was allowed right? Maybe he'll actually have some fun tonight. This was his first good break of the evening and he decided to take it. He slammed his glass down then stood up eyes on the girl.  
  
"No drink, Mr. Coulson?" the bartender inquired as he wiped a glass.  
  
"No, maybe later. I think I'm going to go and enjoy myself a bit."  
  
"Good choice," the barman said approvingly and gave a little wave as he watched Sam disappear into the crowd.  
  
Sam kept his eyes forward, ducking through couples and raising his head over on-coming people's shoulders so he could still see the blond with the expressive eyes and damp curls who'd pulled a towel around her body, swiveling her hips as she headed to a quiet bench where the action was non- existent. Sam walked on, not realizing that he'd just passed by Guy and his wannabe's, who's eyes were on him as he went to join her.  
  
He stood still by the bench, his posture, half-bent, to duck the huge leaves of the descending palm trees, his sense directed and calmed at the same time by the tropical scent of mango and coconut milk as he stared at the figure who was facing the other way her back to him.  
  
"Long night, huh?" he exhaled, stretching into the air. "What are you doing over here by yourself?"  
  
"I~I don't know. I guess I didn't want to be out of there in all that noise. Especially since I couldn't find the Bachelor. I mean I broke my date with my fiancee to get in this get up and he doesn't even have the decency to show up!"  
  
Sam bit his lip then cautiously took a seat. "You mind if I sit down for a second? I've been looking for someone to talk to, just to talk."  
  
She shrugged her shoulders and Sam gulped when the towel she was wearing fell off her shoulders to reveal a delicate white bikini that reminded him strongly of whipped cream. "You've obviously already welcomed yourself, so, start talking," she quipped and gave a harrumph as she tossed back her head of curls that he began finger combing.  
  
"Wait a second, you're the one who saw me, I saw you smile at me," Sam retorted, thrown by her curt tone.  
  
"Well, I wouldn't have if I'd known you were irresponsible bachelor," she quipped and stood up angry and began to stalk off.  
  
"H~hey, before you get all mad at me, can you just sit and listen to me, for a minute or two. I have something I've been trying to get out my system but I think it's obvious I haven't gotten far hence that I have nobody around me," Sam pleaded, and his words stopped her in her tracks.  
  
"I don't know, Mr. Coulson. I was quite offended when you wouldn't give me the time of day," she whimpered, folding her arms and leaned all her weight on one leg.  
  
"I~I didn't know you were hired specifically for me," he lamented as he clasped his hands together and leaned forward.  
  
"I realized that myself," she put in coldly, continuing to give him the backbone that he'd learned to hate from any woman. He felt it very condescending, and seeing that he was probably enough to be her teacher he wasn't going to take any crap.  
  
"Look~~~what's your name?" he asked suddenly and slapped a hand to his forehead. That was smooth Sam Coulson, real smooth. She didn't reply. Sam shrugged off the insulted feeling he got from that reaction. "Okay, I just want you to know that it's not because of you that I'm upset, I've only seen your eyes and yet I already think you've attractive. They're so~~~expressive," he explained as he pulled a medium-sized fruit from the tree and tossed it up and down like a baseball. "Reminds me of Josie, actually."  
  
"Josie?" she inquired as she took a position of leaning against the tree.  
  
"My fiancee, who I'd rather be with more than anything, no offense to you. I really didn't want to come to this party, I never consented to this but my former high school students threw it, and I guess that's why I'm here, to show my gratitude for their hard work," he sighed as he caught the fruit in his hand and then stared at the orange sphere. "You want a mango?"  
  
"No~~~"she replied in a sultry voice that hand only a hint of a British drawl. "But there is something you can do for me."  
  
Sam felt a red flag start flashing in his mind. What she was going to ask him couldn't be good.  
  
"And that would be?"  
  
"Actually, it's really quite simple and enjoyable," she explained to him. "When I found out that it's going to take a little something to loosen you up into party-mode, I thought about something I enjoyed that we could do together, and I got permission from the owner of his place to go into one of his huge pools he's got in the back. You do enjoy swimming, don't you?" she inquired in a teasing voice.  
  
"Um, actually, I prefer the ice, but thanks anyway," he chuckled nervously. For some reason, he didn't think she was going to let him go too easily.  
  
"None of that, Samuel," she crooned as she turned around, lowered her head and gestured to him to come with her with her finger.  
  
"It's Sam," he corrected her, feeling that things were taking a turn into forbidden territory. "And I'm not going to a pool house with you. It'll be too awkward."  
  
"Tsk tsk," she tsked him, clicking her tongue. "Where is your sense of adventure? OR is this Josie marrying a really high-strung all business high school teacher?"  
  
"I've got a sense of adventure, thank you very much. But I'll only take chances with her. I'm ready to settle down now," Sam repeated, his irritation with her growing. Couldn't the girl take a hint?  
  
"Prove it," she challenged him as she walked on. Sam didn't feel that he had to prove anything but he found himself walking after her, only about a foot behind her. He found his eyes trailing her neckline and down her body. How stupid could he be? Why had be acknowledged her smile? Why was he overcome with the sudden urge to run his fingers through her bouncy blond hair, and put his hands against her creamy skin and gaze into her intense eyes?  
  
A moment later he realized why. She reminded him of Josie, only her hair was darker and her curls were dragging, not to mention she had a lip. And of course, he knew what had happened, this all had to be part of a plan to entice a sworn one-woman man with another woman and see if he could keep his thing in his pants.  
  
And of course Guy had chosen his fiancee's look-alike.  
  
Damn, he loved his high school students.  
  
He paused when the young woman stopped to put a key into the door of the dark building. Only the moon provided any light and darkness made Sam even more nervous. This was an erotic situation waiting to happen. He shuffled his feet nervously as the door creaked open.  
  
"Come on in, Mr. Coulson," she whispered as she stood in the doorway, still though with her back to him which was starting to play on his last nerve. Why wouldn't she let him look at her?  
  
"Okay~~~but before I do that, I want to make one thing perfectly clear," he began in a clear firm voice. She cocked her head to prove she was listening. "I'm not here for any kind of pleasure other than what the water can provide me. I'm in love with one woman and one woman only."  
  
"I know," she giggled as she led the way. "Don't worry, I won't do anything you wouldn't want to." She walked over to the farthest pool chair and dropped her towel then sat onto it and carefully pulled her thongs off and placed them under her seat.  
  
Sam watched her for a minute and then followed her lead, stripping down until all he was wearing was his pair of blue boxer shorts. He then took a deep breath and descended down the ladder into the lukewarm water. He laid back and immediately began doing a few back strokes, letting go of all the concerns and fears he'd been battling with ever since he'd popped the question and made a promise to take care of Josie for the rest of her life. He dove under the water then came back up, gasping for breath as he shook out his hair. God, this was great! The water was just right and the moonbeams lit up the pool, giving it its' glass-like appearance. He pushed his hair back and glanced over at the pool chair, only his companion wasn't sitting there anymore.  
  
She was instead standing there, smiling down at him, holding a plate of what looked like chocolate.  
  
"Josie!"  
  
Now that she'd removed the veil from her face he plainly saw that it was his love, his soulmate standing there in a white bikini that was fluffy and white~~~just like whipped cream! She stood thee with a bewitching smile on her beautiful face. "Hi Sam. I hope this is okay," she murmured, staring down at herself. "I knew you wanted whipped cream but this was all I could in short notice."  
  
Sam just gawked at her as he pulled himself out of the pool, leaving a trail of watery footprints as he stood before Josie who looked very uncertain. "Josie! What are you doing here? I thought you were asleep."  
  
"Happy to see me?"  
  
Was that even a question? Wasn't he beaming like the rays of the sun, his teeth gleaming like the romantic moon beams?  
  
"Happy? Oh god, Josie, I'm a lot more happy now that you're here! How did you sneak in?"  
Josie studied his handsome expression and was overcome by a laughing fit. Could it be possible that Sam was that naïve? It seemed so. His eyes were genuine with surprise and he still kept darting his eyes around the room, as though he were keeping a look out for the owner.  
  
"Really Sam. Can you be so gullible? This was part of the plan! Guy and I knew you wouldn't willingly go to your party so we decided that we would make it so you couldn't refuse, and then reward you for you effort by my showing up and luring you to our own private little party."  
  
Finally the wheels turned in his head and a bit of understanding dawned on him. He then shook his head. "Wow, I can't believe it, you fooled me. I knew there was something familiar about you. And now it makes sense why you kept half your face covered and you kept your back turned. I would have realized it was you if I'd gotten too close."  
  
"Exactly, and you know, this was a good thing," she put in as she took his wet hands into hers and gave them a good squeeze. "I didn't intend for it to work out this way but I just realized how faithful you are to me and how much you really think about me when I'm not around. You're the best, Sam, the best there is."  
  
Sam impulsively pulled her to his wet chest and ran his rough fingers through her stringy drenched hair and then nuzzled her head with his strong jaw. "No, you're the best. You know me better than anybody. I mean, look! You even pulled of my outrageous fantasy. I only told you about that tonight and look, you read my mind!"  
  
"Actually, I just stopped by Victoria's Secret to pick up the outfit. I couldn't believe my luck when I found a marshmallow bra that actually looked like whipped marshmallows on the outside," she explained but the smile on his tanned face told her that he hadn't been the least bit disheartened by that revelation. He instead took her by the hand and pulled her into the water, then swam over to the chair where the plate of chocolate was laying. Josie came up beside him a second later, the wetness made her look even sexier to Sam's eyes.  
  
"So Josie, what do you say we share a piece of this delicious treat," he whispered as he unwrapped a Dove and slowly placed it into his mouth, never letting his gaze waver as he moved closer to Josie, his eye lids closing, his lips puckered as he put a hand onto her shoulder, drawing her in for a kiss.  
  
Only she moved backwards. "Actually, I don't think we should," she pronounced which earned her a disappointed expression from her partner. "Hey, weren't you the one who said you're not here for any other pleasure than what the water will offer?" she shot back, batting her eye lashes, her face struggling to keep a straight face.  
  
"Oh you're funny, Josie Geller," he drawled sarcastically and drew nearer to her as though he were a shark quietly approaching the unaware victim.  
  
Josie squealed and shoved him away which sent Sam into a coughing fit as the chocolate flew down the wrong tube. Josie swam back over to him with a few powerful strokes then gently thumped his back with the heel of her hand until Sam stopped coughing.  
  
"Sam, are you okay?" she whimpered, her voice thick with concern. He had turned blue for a second and that was a second too long as far as she was concerned. And knowing she'd caused it didn't make her feel any better.  
  
"Uh yeah," he exhaled and his skin slowly returned to his normal color. There was an evil grin on his mouth that didn't particularly calm her nerves.  
  
"Oh~~~good, you gave me quite a fright there, I thought we were going to lose each other for a second," she breathed and put a hand to her forehead.  
  
"Yeah~~~yeah, you're going to pay for that one," he promised her. Before Josie could react, Sam came up behind her, ducked under the water then wrapped his muscular arm around her torso and dunked her squealing into the water.  
  
Sam surfaced first and waited for Josie. He began laughing when she came up sputtering, spiting at his face.  
  
"SAM COULSON!"  
  
"That'd be me," he smirked, completely amused.  
  
"Do you think that was funny?" she shrieked, her voice so loud it echoed off the walls.  
  
"Actually it was," he snickered. "You should see your face!"  
  
"You've asked for it, Mr. Coulson!" she boomed then began throwing water over at him as fast as her hands would allow her. Sam shook his head and splashed her back, laughing out loud and for a moment he felt that he was a teenager again, having an innocent water right with his carefree girlfriend, not a man that was only five days from making one of the biggest decisions of his life.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"SCORE!"  
  
Sam heard the crack of a hockey stick and that was enough to pull him back into reality. He cringed when he saw what the other guys were doing. Tommy had assumed the position of a pitcher and pitched an orange disk to Guy who was currently at bat. Sam was about to skate backwards to escape the sailing orange object.  
  
That was when he realized he was seated on the ice. Crap! Sam scrambled to his feet just in time to flee the orange disk. He heard it whiz past him and let out a relieved sigh. That was too close!  
  
"Oops, sorry Mr. Coulson," Guy snickered as he skated over to the wall with the remains of his broken hockey stick in his hands. "But hey, at least you finally snapped out of it. I was wondering how long you were going to look dazed."  
  
"Y~yeah, right," Sam coughed. Now that his senses were coming back into action, his butt felt very cold.  
  
"So you ready for another go?" Tommy inquired, joining the two person group of Sam and Guy.  
  
"Nah, I think he needs to get some feeling back into his butt," Jason joked. "Too bad he doesn't have a heating pad for you to sit on."  
  
Sam let out a sarcastic laugh. "Actually I've got to ditch. I'm meeting Josie and she should be arriving right about now," he informed them, looking at his watch. It was ten minutes to six.  
  
"All right, we're going to hang out a bit longer," Guy replied for the three of them, though what they were going to do now that they'd snapped their sticks alluded the hockey guru.  
  
"Fine. You guys just~~~remember this isn't a baseball field. If you want to crack at balls, there is an appropriate stadium for that." He skated over to where he'd left his bag, or where he thought he'd left his bag. Sam thought hard for a moment then turned around and folded his arms. "Okay, that's very amusing guys, where did you put my gym bag?"  
  
A wave of clueless expression traveled from guy to guy then back again. "You talking to us?"  
  
"No, I'm talking to the walls. Yes, I'm talking to you! Do you see anybody else on the ice?"  
  
Jason actually checked which earned him a pop on the head from Tommy. "Uh, we didn't touch your bag, dude."  
  
Sam took a deep breath to curb the rage he felt growing inside of him. "You have to have. Bags don't just disappear. It doesn't have kinetic energy, Mr. Way," he grumbled. "That means somebody moved it."  
  
The guys had to agree Sam's explanation made sense, assuming they knew what kinetic energy was. But they couldn't' say they touched it when they really didn't.  
  
"Sam, we're not responsible in the case of the missing gym bag," Guy argued, looking clearly offended.  
  
"Yes you are!" Sam boomed, his green eyes narrowing. "You all moved it while I was passed out and you know what, I wasn't mad but now I'm starting to. I don't' put up with nonsense, and you all know I've got to leave. I'm going to give you to my old roster and phone your parents and inform them of how immature you are and that you're lucky I cared to even pass you in senior year!"  
  
Guy, Jason and Tommy actually exchanged looks of fright between the three of them. It was rare to see Sam raise his voice and that was because the teacher actually became so condescending it was scary.  
  
"Hey Sam, no, don't do that," a female voice protested behind him.  
  
All four guys' eyes were directed toward the female presence in the room. Standing behind the wall Sam was leaning against was Josie, bundled up in a nice black business coat, which was worn over her two piece black suit. The top buttons were left open and exposed a generous amount of cleavage. Her hair was in a messy bun, dangling from her lavender-tipped fingers was Sam's missing gym bag.  
  
"Josie! Sweetheart, when did you get here?" he demanded as he climbed off the ice and stood before her.  
  
"About two minutes ago. I figured you'd be running a little late so I came in here to watch the last bit of your game, since you're just so sexy on the ice."  
  
Sam turned a deep shade of crimson when he broke away from Josie's blushing lips. And it didn't help the situation that three of his former students were witnessing such an uncool aspect of their "coolest" high school teacher.  
  
They began hooting, and name-calling towards blushing Sam and "hot- stuff,' Josie Geller Coulson. She turned to face them and smiled, a rosy color appearing on her cheeks  
  
"All right guys, settle down," he chided them, shaking his head.  
  
"So where is goo o'l Sam taking you this evening?" Tommy sang, skating up to the bleachers.  
  
"You're not going to find out," Sam cut in firmly before Josie could disclose any vital information. "You guys can handle cleaning up, right?"  
"Sure," they all cried out, at the same time their intention to taunt the young marrieds. "You guys behave tonight, ya hear?"  
  
Sam and Josie exchanged a glance as he changed into his good shoes, then slung his skates over his shoulder. They as they ascended the steps, Josie leaned into whisper in his ear, "I think that goes double for you."  
  
Sam let out a hearty chuckle. "Hey, I'm not the one who crashed my bachelor party wearing a marshmallow bra!"  
  
Hey! Thanks for reading! Please Review! I don't' write without feedback!!!! Wanted to thanks to all my readers! Hope I haven't lost ya'll!!!  
  
Oh and for you Vartan fans! Please also review my alias fic! I need the encouragement!!!!  
  
Hopefully it wont' be too long before my next update!!!! Lots of love for ya  
  
Kristina Toffland a.k.a. Total Vaughn Lover 


	5. Chapter Four: Bistro D'orange Poissonpas...

OH MY GOD! THANKS FOR ALL THE REVIEWS! YOU ALL TRULY ROCK! FINALLY I'VE UPDATED FOR YOU! PLEASE KEEP REVIEWING! I LOVE YOU ALL!!!  
  
Never Been Pregnant Total Vaughn Lover  
  
Chapter Two(cont)  
  
Josie slowly cut into her hunk of roast beef, trying not to make a mess. Only she squirmed every time blood seeped out of the meat. She took her hands off her utensils and took a deep breath before she reached for them to give the meat one more try. Nope! As soon as her fork sank into the tender morsel, a pool of red blood began forming beneath her meat.  
  
Sam watched her as he put a piece of his own meat into his mouth and chewed. God, the savory juices of the meat mixed with the worchestshire was proving to be a sure treat for his tongue. He cut himself another piece and was about to eat it as well but he burst out laughing instead when he saw his wife push away her dish.  
  
"Honey? Do you want help with that?" he teased her, his eyes sparkling with amusement. Josie gave him a defiant look, as though it had been a very big mistake for him to ask her that. "It's just uh~~~I couldn't help but notice you haven't been able to cut your meat."  
  
"M~Maybe I'm not hungry," she boomed, folded her arms and pouted like a little girl.  
  
"N~Not hungry?" he demanded and held his hands on his head as though he had a huge headache. "Josie, honey, we're dining at the Bistro D'orange poisson, only the best steak place in Chicago. And the roast beef is out of this world! Here, try some." He picked up the piece he'd cut and made to look like he was going to put it in her mouth.  
  
She batted his hands away and moped sitting in her seat while Sam hissed at shy she was acting this way as he picks up the tainted piece of beef with his napkin then rolled it up before he used it to mop the sauce residue that had splattered on the pink tablecloth. Then he threw it down and glared at her.  
  
"Want to explain to me why you felt you had to act that way and waste a perfectly good piece of roast beef? I mean if you didn't want to come out then we didn't have to. I would have gladly cooked you anything you wanted at home. I mean I know about the fatigue and weird food urges you get when you're pregnant," he chided her as he took a gulp of the champagne sitting in his glass.  
  
"I never said that I didn't' want to come out here. I just~~~I'm almost thirty. I don't' need you feeding me," she grumbled, staring down at her food.  
Sam frowned at her, clearly offended. "Damn Josie, if I had known you would react that way, I would have bothered. I thought you'd be flattered that I feel like we're just gotten marred even after an year has passed. I mean, we used to feed each other all the time," he scowled, his face turning red. Then he abruptly stopped speaking, saying only, "suit yourself," and went back to concentrating on his meal.  
  
Josie raised her head and looked over at Sam as he continued to eat. He was looking extra handsome that night in a light denim crème button own without the t-shirt. His hair was a bit coifed into the James Dean thing and his eyes seemed to have a much shinier spark, only she couldn't judge them because his head was down.  
  
She bit her lip in shame. What had overcome her to make her way the things she'd said? He'd said the meat was practically to die for, now if she could only see the smile to prove it. She dabbed her mouth with her napkin No, she couldn't let the evening go like this.  
  
"Um~~~Sam?" she inquired right when he happened to have a mouthful of lettuce. She heard him choke of his salad. He reached for his glass of water before he looked at his wife to acknowledge her presence. "A~Are you really mad at me?"  
  
Sam stared hard at her for a moment then the hardness dissolved and he was smiling with a raised eyebrow, his eyes crinkled. "No, of course not, Josie. I know today has meant a big change for you and moodiness is understandable."  
  
God, did Josie have the most understanding husband in the world or what? For a second there she'd thought that he was going to scold her like he'd done with his hockey mates.  
  
"So um~~~does the opportunity to have my husband chop up my meat still exist?" she asked, shyly, batting her eyelashes at him.  
  
"Yeah, here," he said, wiping his mouth with the cloth napkin then reached the dish she was extending out to him. He then picked up his utensils and began sawing into bite-sized pieces, smiling as he did.  
  
Josie watched him concentrate on her food for a few moment, clasping her hands under her chin. This was exactly what she had wanted to be growing up, a wife to someone who let her know everyday that it was he who was lucky to be loved by her. And he'd gone beyond her wildest expectations. From the days they'd met to the day when he'd finally decided to make their union real before God, not a day went by that wasn't perfect. Oh of course she would have preferred not to have had that disaster on prom night but then again that had led to the baseball field even where Sam had so openly conveyed his feelings for her.  
  
She took a good glance around the room. She'd been here only once before, but she was sure the restaurant looked a lot grander today. The white of his walls had a creamy vanilla look as a result of the chandeliers casting just the right amount of light onto the walls. The pink table cloth added a soft touch to the elegant floor that was spread with expensive carpet from Bulgaria. The aroma from the food was nothing short of enticing. And the champagne had to the best she'd ever tasted in Chicago. And having someone special to share the fine dining with was really what made dining there just fine. Face it, Sam was the best asset in the world, which was certainly more than she could say for the last time she'd eaten at this place.  
  
(flashback)  
  
A five years younger Josie came dwaddling into the most expensive restaurant. She began hyperventilating under her Victorian-style dress, complete with bell sleeves, and a full skirt, complete with a beaded bodice, all in a soft pink. But that was the only part of her that even exuded elegance. Her hair was still the boring dull brown in its' low and mundane ponytail, her face make-up free and pasty.  
  
Her disposition was less than perfect, to put it nicely. If only Anita had told her about the news of the new hot guy planning to meet her at the Bistro D'orange Poisson, a little bit earlier than just a few hours ago, like perhaps the day before, or a week ago. Then maybe she wouldn't be so high-strung. Or she was until she'd stepped into this elegant restaurant. Now she was constantly trying to catch her breath as she took in the sights, aroma and sounds that flowed throughout the building that shouted, "rich!" She was sure she'd just heard Mr. Nordstrom call his wife Mrs. Nordstrom.  
  
She was greeted by a waiter who came to attention, one hand behind his back, the other one clutching a menu to his chest.  
  
"May I assist you, miss?" he said in a thick French accent, his eyes closed and his nose upturned snobbishly.  
  
"Actually, I'm meeting someone for dinner tonight," she chittered, trying to look like she had herself put together.  
  
"The party's name?"  
  
"Oh crap!" she stammered to herself. What was the name of the new Sports Editor? "Um~~~can you give me a second?"  
  
"Uh~~~of course," he assured her, but he began to burst out laughing when he saw her get up. "And are you a princess of some kind?"  
  
"Oh, actually this is a halloween costume from three years back," Josie grinned, executing a full circle to show off the ridiculous looking creation. "But it's so elegant you can't tell the difference can you?"  
  
The waiter continued on laughing as she dialed Anita's number, where an equally wired Anita answered the phone, giving her more info than the name of her date, Stephen Mcelvin. She turned off the phone, apologized to the waiter who began guffawing as he led the young naïve Josie across the tables where the formally dressed beautiful people turned to gawk at her.  
  
They came to a pause where Stephen Mcelvin was sitting at a table with a different woman that was definitely not her. She was a beautiful blond in a tasteful blue cocktail dress, currently picking at the cabbage of her steak dinner.  
  
Wait a minute, what was going on?  
  
"Mr. Mcelvin."  
  
Stephen turned around to acknowledge the waiter, looking quite upset about being disturbed.  
  
"Yes sir, may I help you?"  
  
"Um~~~this woman is here to join your dinner," the waiter announced which earned him a glare from his date.  
  
"Y~you're kidding me, right?" he hissed to the waiter, while trying to calm down his steaming date.  
  
The waiter gave him a no-kidding look. He then heard a cry out from the kitchen and quickly went over to find out the problem, leaving Josie standing, dumbfounded.  
  
"So~~~ma'am~~~," he began, addressing Josie but then he paused. "Wait, I know you from somewhere," he said then, and his voice suddenly grew to a whisper as he pondered where he had seen her.  
  
"I~I'm the copy editor at the Chicago Sun Times," she beamed, flattered that she'd been noticed at work.  
  
"Right, right. Now my next question," he said with a nice smile, and Josie felt she was ready to answer anything. Only what he said was far from what she wanted to hear. "What are you doing here? And why did you tell the waiter that you were having dinner with me?"  
  
Josie bit her lip. "Well, Anita told me you were crazy about going out with me tonight, that you thought I was the most beautiful girl in the U.S."  
  
Stephen just stared, thinking of the right thing to say.  
"Y~you're kidding, right?" the slender blond chuckled so hard she choked on her food. She then dabbed her face with a napkin as she giggled, "you actually thought the Stephen McElvin would want to go out with you over me?"  
  
"W~well," Josie began. "Yeah."  
  
This sent the girl into another frenzy of giggles. "Oh my God! I can't believe this! For one, I can't believe that you actually thought it was okay to walk out in public with that get up. That thing should only be worn at a Halloween party."  
  
Stephen glanced at Josie with a small smile. Even he thought this date's vocal venom was too much. "Josephina, that's enough. I think she gets it." He turned to the other Josie who was struggling to keep herself together. "Hey, sorry about this. You got all dressed up for me and everthing. Seems Anita was eavesdropping on a conversation that she shouldn't have. It would have prevented this whole mess."  
  
"B~but she heard my name," Josie protested.  
  
"No, she heard my name," the other Josie sneered, "I'm Josephina Gellargiano, Josie Gellar, for short."  
  
Josie's eyes grew wide. Josephina Gellargiano, as in the top reporter on the New York Times? How could she have been so stupid!  
  
"I~I guess I've made a big mistake."  
  
"Y~Yeah, it seems things got mixed up. I~~I do apologize, Josie, but did you really honestly think that I would want to be seen in an opulent restaurant with you, let alone in public?"  
  
Josie's eyes brimmed with tears. "No, I~~~I guess not." And she didn't wait for them to react and ran for the door before she could be humiliated for another moment." (end of flashback)  
  
"Josie! Josie!" Sam called out after he set her plate down at her place. "Honey, snap out of it!" he cajoled her and began clapping his hands besides her when she didn't react.  
  
Finally Josie gasped and her eyes popped open, feeling as though she'd gotten socked in the stomach. Her mouth felt dry and her lips were trembling.  
  
"Josie, sweetheart, are you okay?"  
  
She couldn't move to acknowledge him, it was as if she was frozen. Sam reached over to touch her hand. She immediately felt warm and it spread from the area he touched till it filled her whole body.  
  
"Honey?" he crooned and Josie's eyes lit up when she saw Sam. Sam was looking over at her with his emerald eyes, clouded with worry. "Are you okay, did you have a bad daydream?"  
  
"Uh~~~actually, it was a flashback, you know, about the last time I came out here?"  
  
Sam's mouth became a tight grin. A few days after they'd gotten engaged, Sam had suggested they celebrate at this exact restaurant but he'd opted for something different after she'd told him about the humiliating experience she'd endured with Stephen McElvin. Sam had wanted to punch the daylights out of him then and he looked like he felt the same way now.  
  
"Sam~~~I'm okay. It was a long time ago," she protested to curb the fire growing readily in his eyes.  
  
"Fine. But you do know that you mean more to me than anything, right? Because I'm only a guy and even though I'd like to say I can read your mind, I can't, and I need you to tell me if you feel I'm not appreciating you enough," Sam demanded, looking extremely serious, as though he really would do anything to take away all the pain in her life and make sure it didn't happen again.  
  
"N~No, you're perfect Sam. And I know that's just going to grow each day."  
  
Sam blushed yet again, then kissed Josie. They were still hovering over their food when he broke away and whispered. "Well, if you're back from your trip down memory lane, maybe we should get back to eating before our food turns cold."  
  
They stood there for a moment with their foreheads touching, then they settled back down into their seats and began devouring their food.  
  
Sam watched Josie dip a bite size piece of meat into the dark sauce then took a bit and began chewing. MMM! The meat really was excellent.  
  
Following that minor fight, Sam and Josie continued to enjoy their meal, well, enjoyed their company more or less. They talked about tomorrow's dinner, Josie getting an exclusive and the newest assignment Sam had added to his lesson plan. Josie actually tried to get him to talk about his novel but he was really being stubborn in that area.  
  
She was about half-way done with her meat and Sam had spooned up the last of the soup in its' authentic looking ceramic dishware when the same waiter who'd humiliated her years ago arrived at their table.  
  
"Mr. And Mrs. Coulson, I do apologize that I had to interrupt your meal that you are enjoying, I hope."  
  
"Yes, we are. Thank you," Sam grinned.  
  
"So glad to hear it, um~~~Mrs. Coulson," he inquired and Josie turned to smile at him as well, "There are a group of women at the front of the restaurant, holding your newest article, wanting to meet you and perhaps, obtain an autograph."  
  
Josie blushed. An autograph? She remembered when she'd published her first real article, she'd had fans mailing her from all over Chicago, and then some from the friends of those in Chicago. She'd never dreamed her second article would be an equal success.  
  
"Would you let them come and meet you, Mrs. Coulson?"  
  
"Oh~~~Uh." She shot her husband a glance who nodded to her then went ahead and answered her question.  
  
"Yes, go ahead. Josie would love to please her fans," he assured him.  
  
Josie shot bemused Sam a look. Did he really just give an okay to let a group of squealing girls into the restaurant and disturb their dinner, their anniversary dinner? Even celebrities asked they be able to complete their meal before any interactions with their fans.  
  
Before she could give any protest she found her table surrounded by at least fourteen girls, all of them about fifteen years of age.  
  
Author's note 2: Okay! Thanks for reading hope you're still enjoying this! I know I haven't updated in forever but I am still writing, it's just taking me a while to type this stuff up! Please be patient with me, I'm doing the best I can and keep reviewing so I'll know that I should go on.  
  
If you want to join my mailing list, please leave an e-mail addy! Thanks, hope to get lots and lots of feedback! Lol  
  
Kris (Total Vaughn Lover)  
  
Coming soon: Part VI: Josie the Star and "Dr. Sam Coulson" 


	6. Chapter Four Part II: Josie, the Star

Hey ya'll! I just wanted to say, I have been so busy but I've managed to see Never Been Kissed again and all that I've been working on, all the inspiration that I'd had the first time I started writing this came back to me! I Very much appreciate the feedback you all have given me and I just I can continue to do this movie justice.

Anywho, here we go again. Thanks for the motivation!

Never Been PregnantTotal Vaughn Lover

Chapter 2 (Part III)

"Josie, The "Star"

They were all smiling anxiously and in their hands was a copy of her latest article. She stole a look at Sam who looked a bit embarrassed when he saw the picture she'd submitted for the anniversary article and the pink hearts that surrounded not only the headline, but made a border around the writing.

"No you didn't," he mouthed to Josie who just grinned in reply as she pulled the cap off the pen she always kept with her notebook. She then put her focus back onto her "fans," who thrust their articles at her and even added comments about how they'd actually met last year, some "constructive criticism," regarding her article, and asking for tips on how they could find a handsome teacher and then more importantly, get him to fall in love them.

Josie tried very hard to answer their questions and not steer them in the wrong way, much to Sam's relief. But she could relate with what each of them were feeling. What had happened to her last year was the type of thing fairytales were made out of, and she was sure if this had been someone else's article that she had read, she would get obsessed with making sure it happened to her as well.

"Really Josie, I know that you think high school students shouldn't date their teachers but when it happened to you, didn't you think it was okay?" demanded a sixteen-year old girl who reminded the Coulsons strongly of Aldys, former queen of the denominators and the most down-to-earth girl at South Glenn High.

"Well...ye," Josie began but she paused when she felt Sam's hand on her elbow.

"Actually, if you don't mind the high school teacher's input," he began, flashing them a mildly stern look. All the high school girls became silent. Josie felt that the girls would probably sit down if desks were available. "I don't think there's anything wrong with falling in love with a student. Falling in love is very unpredictable and sometimes very hard to control," he said, his frown breaking into a heart-melting display of beautiful strong teeth. "Believe me, I know. But, if you start acting on those feelings while you still have that student-teacher thing going, then things can get very political and there's a high chance you'd end up not wanting anything to do with each other because of all the pain and humiliation you've undoubtedly went through." Sam then crooked his free arm around Josie's shoulder and pulled her till they were just about earshot. "I've got to say, I was not only lucky she was really twenty-five but that I was able to keep myself in check."

Josie could felt heat flowing upward from her neck as she closed her eyes, anticipating the kiss he undeniably going to reward her with. He was already close enough and she felt the aroma of his dissipating cologne get slightly stronger as his face moved in.

"Okay Mr. Coulson, then I've got a question for you," another "student," piped up.

"Shoot," he urged her as he backed off and satisfied his urge to embrace his wife by cocky his head against hers.

"You said you were lucky she was twenty-five. What would you have done differently if she had really been eighteen years old?"

Sam let out a, "ha, ha, nice one," as he pondered what he was going to say. And it didn't help matters any that Josie had flipped her head around to study him with a quizzical glance. Actually, he'd told himself he'd wait for her to graduate then take things from there, part of him just wanting to take the relationship fast and get hitched before all his students went their separate ways. But he always caught himself thinking that the scene would probably not have played out that way. If Josie Geller had really been a senior, he might be dating her but their relationship would probably have been long distance. 8 months out of the year she would be away at college, and he would be in Chicago, worried to death and scared that someone better-looking and closer to her age guy would sweep her off her feet; not married for an year and expecting.

"Sam Coulson? Earth to Sam Coulson?" Josie said in a mocking tone as she knocked on his head, "are you still in there?"

Sam came back to life and stared at Josie. She was immediately confused. She'd seen a deep pain and unsuredness in his eyes. Wow, had that answer really been that tough to come up with? He put a hand into hers and then flashed a cocky smile towards the group of anxious-faced girls.

"Well, if Josie was 18, I think that we would have made it to graduation. Then I would have probably found her at the after grad party and declared the feelings that had grown in me from the day I first met her."

There was a bunch of "Awws!"

"Then we'd probably have had a nice summer together. I'd probably have seen her off with a smile on my face and then gone home crying because I was so lovesick. I'd also probably be so grouchy at work and hand out a lot of homework just so there'd be a lot to grade and I wouldn't have to think about Josie on the arm of another guy,or dreading that she would call me to break up because she didn't think the long distance thing was working. Or maybe she'd claim that the magic had died after we separated, that her feelings had changed to ones for a young handsome Ivy Leaguer who could do more then impress her with Shakespeare theories and bad stereo types of guys and how they hurt girls cause they never want to grow up and make a commitment."

Sam finally stopped ranting and he realized all eyes were on him. The nice thing was they were all looking at him like there couldn't be an Ivy Leaguer that could sweep Josie off her feet the way he had, though in truth he really didn't remember doing anything out of the ordinary until after they'd become an item.

He glanced over at Josie and gave her a half-smile. Yeah, how embarrassing that had been, now he'd given his wife a good reason to tease him tonight. Only her sapphire eyes weren't taunting, they were in fact, very soulful and edged with an eagerness to make sure Sam never had to doubt them like that.

In about another ten seconds, the waiter came back, panting, bracing himself with his hands on the table "MMr and Mrs. Coulson, I very so do apologize but there's a line of forty people all rustling newspapers, wanting them signed."

Josie felt a very emotional sob come up. Forty people? Forty people were here, wanting to interrupt their dinner so they could have a minute with her? This was uncanny!

"Oh my god, sir...I never meant for this to happen," Josie lamented, "I supposed you'd want us to leave. I do apologize."

"Oh please do not! I've already spoken with the manager and he has said if the people are willing to at least dine and have a steak, he will admit them," the waiter beamed. "In face," he pulled open his menu and removed his own copy of the Coulson's anniversary article. "We have distributed this newspaper amongst our guest and there hasn't been a sour comment. If you will stay for a bit longer and take care of their requests, the dinner is on us and we will also grant you dessert. What do you say, Mrs. Coulson?"

Josie checked Sam's soft expression for any sign of anger or protest but she didn't find any. She turned to the waiter with a flattered smile. "Uh, sure, if it's okay with my manager, I'll be glad to."

"Splendide!" he cheered then shyly laid his copy onto the table and slid it towards her. "Perhaps you can start with mine."

Josie let out a chuckle and pulled off her suit jacket. All the action and attention was making her very hot. She then picked up her pen and scrawled onto it her John Hancock then returned it to him. The waiter laid a wet kiss on her forehead then went skipping away.

"Well, looks like this is going to be a long night," Sam stated the obvious.

"Ssorry Sam, we can leave. I don't really like all this attention anyway," she cringed but Sam shook his head.

"Oh no, I've known from the moment you read your first paper to me that you're an amazing writer. All this attention is proof of it and you deserve to milk every moment of it," he told her in a husky voice.

"But this is our wedding anniversary, Sam. I feel terrible that we have to spend it all here."

Sam recognized her, "I'm going to cry," sighs and squeezed her hand. "Hey, the night is young and besides, it's not like tomorrow is not going to be as wonderful as this one," he crooned and laid a kiss on her cheek. "There's no place I'd rather be right now, though it's not kissing you or running my hands all over your beautiful body, this is your moment to shine, and that's a close second," he beamed, literally glowing with pride. He leaned in to touch her lips with his, savoring every sweet second of it, knowing it was going to be a while before he could do it again.

Author's note 2: Yeah! So the dinner is over! Okay, so it's getting a bit fluffy but all I'm going to say is enjoy while it lasts, this sequel is going to have some heavy drama. You thought Josie's cover being blown and Sam finding out that she was doing a story on him was bad? You're not going to believe what I have in store for you

But for those who will bear the fluff for a little while longer, Tune in to the next posted "eppy," "Dr. Sam Coulson!"

Kristina Toffland a.k.a "Total Vaughn Lover"


	7. CHapter Five: Dr Sam Coulson

Author's Note: Yeah, another chapter! Enjoy!!!

Never Been PregnantTotal Vaughn Lover Chapter 2 Part IV 

"Dr. Sam Coulson"

Josie was laid stomach down on their comfy bed, complete with ruffles and cute throw pillows, decorated by yours truly. She had a magazine open before her, the newest issue of "Good Housekeeping." A trail of clothing started from the door that was still ajar, indicating that the owner of the pantyhose, black suit and heels had been eager to throw them off and get into some more comfortable clothes.

She was currently trying to get through an article that featured Actress Kelly Leeper, the only woman who seemed to always be pregnant after a sweepstakes, but her sudden headache and stomach crap forced her to put the magazine down. She'd tried to concentrate on the page once more but her migraine caused her eyesight to blur and all the words melded into one indecipherable blob. She cocked her ear in the direction of the shower and smiled. Sam was singing, or trying to sing, "Glory of Love," which echoed due to the acoustics of the shower. Josie wasn't complaining. It was serving as a nice distraction, and it felt undeniably homey.

All in all, today had been an extremely wonderful day. She'd woken up to a brief breakfast in bed since they'd both been running late, found out not only was she going to be promoted at her job to star reporter, but that she was going to have Sam's baby! And then, just being around Sam, having dinner with him, having him cut her meat, all of it had been perfect.

The last thing she needed was her stomach to act up. She still had a few hours to savor of their first anniversary and she wanted to do something other than lay down and be grouchy because she felt so terrible. Her sweet husband probably wouldn't mind nursing her back to health, or at least try and make thing a bit more bearable for her, but he deserved better. At the least, it was she who should be giving Sam's body a nice rub down. She'd watched Sam cringe as he'd stood up at the table and every time he'd sat down, and she knew it was because he was having muscle pain.

Not that it meant that Sam Coulson was in any way out of shape. He just had a tendency of over-exerting himself when it came to his favorite sport. And now the muscles of his legs and upper back had began solidifying himself, hence why he'd run into the shower the moment they'd gotten home so he could drench himself under the strong gushing water and loosen those muscle cramps.

Josie felt pathetic but she really couldn't move a muscle. She lifted her hand up about a foot but it slammed back down like an involuntary muscle. If only her body would allow her to stand up without making it an excruciating endeavor each time. But she wasn't counting on it, she would just have to settle on taking a shower before she left for work.

The water turning off and the smell of clean soap and after shave wafting into the room interrupted Josie's thoughts of self pity. Yes! Any moment now she would have Sam beside her, an amazing man who could probably convince her that she wasn't hurting as bad as she thought and get her to actually believe it.

"I am the knight who will fight for your honor," Sam began singing as he took care of his after shower business and promptly stopped when he overheard Josie's teasing giggle. "Okay, so I'm not the next Josh Groban," he chuckled and Josie's heart beat faster when she turned her head toward the glass door that reflected a smoked up outline of Sam, wearing boxer short, pulling up his pants.

"No, yyou're not," she chimed in, putting a hand to her stomach that had gotten worse with every laugh.

"Hello, as my wife you're supposed to tell me that I can do everything I want to do and be everything I want to be. Not add more fire to my low self-esteem," he informed her, his voice muffled, probably because he had a towel rubbing his head.

"Says who?" she groaned back, squeezing her eyes shut to keep from crying out.

"Somewhere in the marital vows, but it's a little confusing because they use old language and it makes it sound like it means something else. In other words, it doesn't actually say I Josie Geller will not tell Sam Coulson that he can't sing, but it's common sense," Sam chided her. "You don't make fun of your significant other, since there's always that risk that it can turn out ugly and hurt someone's feelings."

Ugh! She loved Sam but he really needed to leave his lecturing in his classroom, though she did find the tone he used to lay down the law quite attractive.

"Take me for instance. I think I'm golden when it comes to making you feel your best when you're not, bringing you back up when you're down and you can practically guarantee that you can come to me for an ego booster," he boasted and Josie suddenly had an image of Sam winning a "Best Ego Booster," medal. "For example, I'm going to compliment you right now." He paused then what he said next came out sounding very gentle and warm. "I am betting what happened at the Bistro D'Orange Poisson is the first time in history that the restaurant actually paid someone other than a sports or movie star to stay to please the guests who all wanted your John Hancock, if I remember correctly."

Josie assumed that was correct but she wasn't about to validate it. Besides, she believe the only reason her article had so many readers was because it was a rare article to be completely happy and the picture of the handsome brunette probably gathered a fan following of its' own, not the effort she'd made to make the words mellifluous.

"I mean, everyone, every single person in that restaurant wanting an autograph, and at the Bistro, we're talking execs, movie stars, Ivy Leaguers, and there were at least ten parties going on at the same time," Sam recalled as he pulled up the bathroom mat. "And then there was that huge line outside we had to go through if we had any hope of getting out of there."

"Yyeah, sorry about that," she said through gritted teeth, clutching the throw pillow against her sore abdomen.

"No, don't be sorry," he told her. Then he paused as if he were in a thought and then he exploded in a "Gawd! Your hands must really hurt! Just give me a second to mop up the floor and then I'll give them a nice massage."

"Actually, it's not my hand," she stammered but she doubted he heard her since he was rummaging through cabinets. She then heard a high-pitched, "Aah!" and she saw the tall figure of Sam come crashing to the ground.'

"Sam, are you okay?" she whimpered, watching carefully to see if Sam would be able to stand up.

"Yeah, I'm good," he told her as he slowly got to his feet and rubbed the purple bruise that was readily forming on his hip. "Actually my hip feels a tad better, other than the impact with the floor, I don't feel it jabbing me anymore."

"I guess that's a good thing," Josie through as she curled herself into a ball and pulled the covers over her body, warming up her abdomen always cured her menstrual cramps.

"Okay," Sam exhaled as he waddled out of the steaming bathroom with a bottle of lotion in one hand and his hip on the other. "Let's give your hand Sam Coulson's anniversary special massage, complete with rich buttermilk lotion guaranteed not only to stop the pain but make you so comfortable that you'll drift off to sleep."

"Um Sam, it's actually my stomach that's bothering me. I mean, I know that my body is going through extreme changes but isn't pregnancy supposed to be a pleasant part of my life?" she whined as Sam took a seat next to her and gently leaned over to kiss her on the cheek. "And my head, it's like I'm having a migraine of a migraine. I'm surprised I haven't lost my dinner yet. I felt so nauseated when we got home, but you were in the bathroom and I didn't have the strength to go downstairs."

"Oh...honey. Jose, I'm sorry that you're hurting. You should have told me that you needed to use the restroom. My shower could have waited."

"No, it's okay, I don't have to go anymore anyway," Josie whined, burying her head into her pillow. "Besides, you needed it. I saw you, you could barely move after you came off the ice."

"Probably because I was stupid and sat down on the ice in my freaking jeans. You know I never wear any snow stuff because I never fall down," Sam murmured, looking extremely embarassed. Then he cocked his chin down onto her forehead. "Honey, maybe you can give me a chance to make it feel better. I think the same thirty minute massage can do wonders for your tummy. And many you'd like some tylenol for your headache?" he suggested then gazed down at his wife who'd turned away. "Does that sound good to you?"

Josie managed a weak smile as she gently brushed her hair behind her ear. "No, I'm not sure tylenol is approved to be taken by pregnant women. I'm not about to jeopardize my baby's life before she's even fully formed."

"Okay, but I don't want you feeling miserable all night long. You sure there's nothing I can give you? Is there anything you're craving like sardines, or pickles?" he inquired, willing to do just about anything to help Josie's unfortunate side effects.

Josie scrunched her nose in disgust. She knew expecting mothers had strange cravings but sardines and pickles should never belong in the same sentence as far as she was concerned. "I guess what I'm really craving is to get my hair washed. I mean, you come out smelling all fresh and now I feel dirty."

"You want me to shampoo your hair?" he laughed as though what she was saying was the most ridiculous thing in the world. "Honey, you treasure your golden locks. Don't you remember the day you complained to me that the wind was blowing your hair into your face? You went all spastic when I tried to put it back into a pony tail!"

"If I remember correctly, we were just starting to date and I was trying to hide the good-sized bruise you gave my neck from kissing," she retorted. Sam turned his blue-green eyes away and heat crept up his neck. "Sam, please, you told me the massage would make me feel better, I bet a shampoo with your fingers kneading away at my strained brain muscles is exactly what the doctor ordered."

Sam gave her a sideway glance, looking as though he were about to reject her for the first time in his life. But when Josie pulled herself off the pillow and laid onto his lap, he was won over.

"Okay, let me treat your stomach first and if you are up to it and comfortable enough to walk over to the bathroom, I'll _think _about doing your hair," Sam offered as he gently squeezed her shoulders. "Okay?"

"Okay."

"Great, well let's get you lying comfortably on your back," he instructed her. He put down the hefty bottle of lotion then gently tugged her away from the pillow and laid her down. "I'm going to examine your belly, figure out where it hurt, where it's sharp and dull, you know...so I could make an accurate diagnosis."

Josie couldn't help it, she giggled. Accurate diagnosis? It was like he was playing doctor. Sam gently moved the covers away them rolled up the hem of her tank top, then he began touching her stomach gently, pressing down gently in certain areas. Josie tried to play along with his "Dr Coulson," thing but his straight face made her dissolve into giggles.

"Did that tickle?" he inquired as he continued his "examination." Josie nodded and then suddenly let out a loud, "Ah!" He'd hit a tender spot. She could barely lie still as Sam put his hands back on that spot and felt it more thoroughly. She could tell he'd made a mental note of it before he moved on.

But the time Sam Coulson has completed the exam, he found three tender spots.

"Okay Josie, I'm diagnosing your pain as just plain tension. Happens to me sometimes and the best method of treatment is rubbing heavy lotion into the whole area, concentrating on the tender area and make sure we relieve all that pressure."

Josie continued to giggle.

"Jose, did you understand everything I said because I'm not about to let you sue me for not informing you enough," he demanded in a mildly-stern tone with the famous eyebrow raised.

"Yes Dr. Coulson," she sang. Sam's eyes crinkled and she could tell he appreciated that comment. He patted her on the stomach then stood up with a, "I'll be right back."

Josie watched Sam as he returned with a basin. He set it down then submerged the towel sitting in the water and rung it out well till there were no visible drops of water. He then turned to his wife's exposed abdomen and washed it thoroughly. She guessed he was "disinfecting," it before he started on her.

"You're a big quiet. You have any questions before I do my job?" Sam asked gently as she dried her with another towel he had.

She really didn't but looked at her so expectantly she knew she had to say something. She decided to go with the oldest question in the book. "Okay. I just have one question then. When you were feeling me, it hurt in some places, does that mean it's going to hurt now?"

Sam bit his lip as he thought how to answer her. He hadn't expected her to ask about pain control. "Um...I guess I should be honest with you. I'm doing this to relieve your pain so truthfully, this should make you more comfortable but yeah...I guess it's possible that it'll hurt a little till I can get your muscles to relax. Maybe closing your eyes and thinking of something else will help you with that."

She couldn't believe how uncomfortable and unconfident Sam had become. He really didn't want to hurt her. "Okay, I'll try that. Just uh...don't get mad if I squirm a little."

Sam shot her a mischievous wink. "Sweetie, I'm going to reward you for putting up with my amateur healing skills." Josie felt very content and laid back, thinking of what she could make her husband for dinner tomorrow night. But Sam's conversation with her belly interrupted her thoughts.

"Hey baby of mine, it's your daddy," he cooed as he kissed her on the abdomen. "Your mommy is hurting so I'm going to give her a nice massage, so you might feel a little pressure. II'll try not to jolt you too much okay?" He kissed her again then added, "I hope you can hear me because I want you to know I've already fallen in love with you."

Then he poured some lotion into his hands and began working on her stomach. Josie let out a few groans. It hurt and she wasn't used to having so much pressure on her stomach, but it felt so damn good. She'd had Sam give her back rubs and had him knead the aching out of the soles of her feet after a long day of walking in heels, so she'd known he was great. But what he was doing now felt so wonderful she was sure he'd found a new way to get her aroused.

"You know Josie, call me an over-zealous and proud father but...I've already through of some names for our child," he blurted out suddenly.

"Really?"

"Yeah. I thought Angelina for a girl because we already know our daughters are going to be perfect and beautiful angels, just look at their mother," he teased and Josie smiled. "Or Angel, Angelica, there are a few variations."

"Hmm and what about a middle name?"

"Juliet," he answered without hesitation. "Of course, pulled out of the genius Shakespearean work, "Romeo and Juliet."

"Angelina Juliet Coulson," Josie thought, trying it out. "You know, that does have a nice ring to it."

"Course any name will be perfect with Coulson on the end," he boasted jokingly as he concentrated on the task at hand.

"It worked wonders for my name," she agreed. "And did Dr. Coulson think of any boy names? Oh, wait a minute, that's easy. Just make him a Jr!"

"Funny, Josie. Though I'm flattered and assuming he's going to turn into a handsome and kind young man, I still think he deserves a well-thought name as well," Sam explained as he submerged his glistening hands into the basin and rinsed them. "So I was thinking, Davis, Miller or Ethan, a good strong boy's name. And Miller could be the middle name."

"No special Shakespearean name for our son?" she chuckled as Sam wrung out his hands and wiped them on a towel.

"I guess not. I wanted a nice strong name for our son, but I didn't want to name him Hamlet. And David is a name out of the good book, I'm sure he'll be pleased," he assured her and he gently pulled down the hem of her tank top.

"Great, so I guess we can go with Miller David Coulson then," she suggested and Sam rewarded her with a handsome smile to show that he agreed. "So I guess I'm done, doc?"

"Yup, I've done all I can do for you. How do you feel now?" he inquired with overwhelming curiousity.

"Actually, a lot better. So that it? What should I do if I have any more pain?" she asked as she sat up.

"I'd prescribe that your husband lean over and give you two heart-stopping kissed and if that doesn't sedate you, I don't know what will," he answered, barely keeping a straight face.

"Great, well thanks Dr Coulson, you were absolutely wonderful. Hopefully my husband won't get jealous because I'm coming back if I have any problems," she stated firmly as she got to her feet then put her hands in Sam's and pulled him up. "But right now, I've got a shampoo date with my husband," she added as she dragged a reluctant to wash her hair Sam to their bathroom.

So there you have it, 2 parts and don't worry, I'm working on the next chapter! Thanks for all your support, hope you'll keep reading and we'll talk again next time!!

Love love love

Kristy (Total Vaughn Lover)


	8. Chapter Six: More embarassing than getti...

Author's note: (The first three lines are from Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet")

Yo yo! Thanks for your reviews, you guys are so awesome! Please keep reading, I think you'll enjoy it! Tee hee

Never Been Pregnant ...............................................................................Total Vaughn Lover

Chapter 3

"Almost as embarrassing as getting hit in the head with a condom!!! (ya'll know what I'm talking about!!!)

"...Oh, me thinks I see my cousin's ghost, seeking out Romeo that did split his body upon a rapier's point—Stay Tybalt Stay! Romeo! Romeo! Romeo! I drink to thee..."

There was a pause and then the rest of the college class began shuffling books, checking the time and groaning loudly about where they'd rather be or what they should or shouldn't have had for breakfast.

"Um...guys," Sam called from the ground level. He was leaned against his desk with one hip sitting down. He looked very professional in his crisp white shirt with a triangle of his white t-shirt peeking about from underneath, and his Josie-ironed slacks looked crisp in their khaki shade. His arms were folded, his bicep huge and definite under the thin white shirt and his mouth was spread in a cocky grin. "You've got..." he paused to look at his clock, "ten minutes and forty-five seconds left. So...you might as well stop shuffling around because I will keep you here till I get through everything I have planned to say." His gaze said, "and you know I will."

The class began huffing and puffing. Sam was sure he heard a few unsaid curse words in the mix but he didn't think anything of it. He just sat there with a smile on his face as his students reluctantly pulled back out their textbooks and slumped in their seats. Sam looking very satisfied picked up his book to find his train of thought then laid it face down on his lap.

"Very good reading, Ms. Elderson," Sam began, picking up right where he'd left off. "I like how you read that, a lot of passion."

The nerdiest girl with deep brown hair that really had no sense of style stood up shyly. She had on a bright pink t-shirt and a pair of faded jeans, her knuckles were white because she was clutching the book so hard. The rest of the class looked on, making disgusted faces and rolled their eyes in disdain.

But Sam gave her a reassuring smile just like when he's first met Josie and he'd proclaimed that he'd taken a liking to the new student after she'd perfectly given the meaning for "pastoral," including the Latin root.

He then launched into the college institutions' shortest lecture which he was making up as he went along. The truth was, he could care less whether his class wanted to stay the last five minutes or not. He'd really not been all there in the classroom all day so he really had not right to say anything to the one who had been day dreaming or zoning out during his hour long lesson. It was just amusing to see how many students actually adhered to his "threats." He'd been teaching the class for almost one year and not once did a student leave his class. And with his luck, the classes had consisted of athletes who couldn't fail if they wanted to make it to the games or girls who gave him looks of affection and claimed he was very sexy when he became irritated.

And this was certainly off the subject but even Josie obeyed his every plea, especially when her asked her not to leave the room or get in the shower with him.

But that made him wonder it was because his stare was intimidating or if he just had eyes that looked attractive to the opposite sex.

"Another example,"white snow upon a raven's back," two completely opposite ideas, once again, good and evil," Sam pronounced, scrawling "white snow upon a raven's back," onto his growing list of examples on the whiteboard. He then glanced down at his watch. He grinned, he didn't want to gloat but he had a gift for B.S and he knew it. Of course he loved literature and had been on top of things in his own college classes, but he'd also gone to some wild parties and he'd procrastinated on one or two term papers. He'd had no other choice but to turn in a four page report and make it sound like he'd retained the text his paper was supposed to be about in his hangover state.

He finally turned back to them as he capped his black magical marker. "Well...that's all I've got to say about that," he concluded and headed over to his desk. "Your homework, should you choose to be wise and do it is to read the next scene and...rewrite it...as though you were a Frenchman and the story took place in Paris as opposed to Verona. All formats for a standard paper apply. I'm not going to give you a limit since I want you to really have fun with this but, I am going to set with you with a minimum of three pages."

He heard an audible, "oh man!" from his most obnoxious student, the QB of the campus football team, Jorge Lechtworth. Sam gave him a sympathetic glance. "Sorry Mr. Lechtworth but I don't think it's possible to rewrite ten pages of dialogue into one measly paragraph."

"Aw man, I know you're cool. It's not your fault you're required to assign a certain number of these freaking reports," the QB boomed, the edge of his lips were laced with anger. But then he lowered his voice to a pleading tone as he said, "but you will give me a few days to get it in, wouldn't you?"

Other athletic jocks, most wearing letter jackets also looked at their most leanient, sport-favoring professor with puppy dog eyes.

"Um...actually guys, this one is cutting it close to midterm so I'm going to need this one on time," Sam lamented, looking and feeling just as disappointed as they were. "But if this alleviates the situation at all, I will accept papers on the Romanticist's Romeo and Juliet till the day before I have to give reports out on your final grade. And for the athletes who make it to the football championships, you have till the first day you're scheduled back. That means about two weeks before the Fall term ends. I think that's pretty generous, don't you guys?"

The athletes mustered a feasible nod, which was more than nothing, especially since college jocks hated the whole concept of homework, shoot, half of them had thought receiving a four-year scholarship meant an immediate degree as well as four years of a promised sports career.

"And I only used five minutes of your time so you are free to use the last five to work on your assignment," Sam suggested as he went around his desk and settled won in the chair.

"Oh, I can't get anything finished in five minutes," a young lady with dark hair and gothic makeup sniveled, glaring at Sam with almost gaunt eyes as she pulled her notebook splashed with Marilyn Manson back into her bag, just daring Sam to say something.

"Actually, if you actually read the assignment, you'd know what you would want to write and if you really just concentrated for five minutes on the topic, I'm betting you all can whip out a first page, at least a rough draft. I already know you have the capability, heck, you've made it this far," Sam reasoned, trying to his class piped up. He had a no-tolerance policy for negativity.

The response he received was far from positive.

"Mr. Coulson, no offense but you must be drunk or something because you know I can't even get an introduction without brainstorming!" the brightest student exclaimed, her voice getting almost panicky.

Well that's what happened to students who were brought up in Ivy League level private schools. Sam had to bite his lip to keep from saying what he wanted to say about her over-exerting herself.

"Yeah, I think I should just pack it in and do it tonight," another fairly friendly but quiet twenty year old guy said as he followed goth girl's actions.

"Suit yourself," Sam thought to himself with half a grin. The good news was that the raid that was supposed to happen that evening wouldn't be including his students since they would be stuck in their dorm rooms, assuming they actually did their homework. "But I don't want any talking. I'm going to be working on my stuff and I am as important as any one of you. Please give me the respect and be quiet so I can work on my novel. I have a crap load of tests to correct not to mention my wife ..."

"Is pregnant!' the rest of the class finished for him. Sam turned a brilliant shade of scarlet but then anybody being glared at by a hundred and twenty students would. Guess he had mentioned that already, but he couldn't help it that he was a father full of pride. He leaned over to grab a thick blue notebook and laid it on his desk. He then pulled out the cloth book mark and opened it to a half-filled page, the margins filled with crazy doodles. He'd been having writer's block for some days now but he finally felt he was ready to write.

His novel was about a woman seen through the eyes of a man who was completely and devoted to who he finally believed was his soulmate and what would be more perfect than watching the love of his life go through the pain, joy, worry and hope of a pregnancy? He uncapped his pen, placed the notebook against his raised knee and began gliding his pen across the white lined plane.

"I awake to the sound of pitter patter feet and the soft calling of, "Daddy! Daddy! Wake up! You told me you're take me to the park!" he wrote, grinning as he did. "Only I didn't feel like getting out of bed But as soon as the cries become insistent I feel a pinch on my cheek. "Okay, okay," I find myself groaning. The only reason I force myself from a restless sleep is because I know my child would reward me with a smile and make me the center of her world for at least one more day. But then I finally open my green eyes, and I find my room to be dark, empty and too quiet for my taste."

Suddenly the thought of the students and the handsome teacher absorbed in his writing was interrupted by the sound of a cell phone ringing.

"I swear," Sam waited about ten seconds before he put down his pen and decided to comment on it.

"Okay, who is the irresponsible student who forgot to put their cell phone on vibrate" Sam demanded, leaning back in his cushioned chair.

No one made a peep. They just glanced at each other after checking their cell phones to make sure they weren't the culprit.

"Okay, who is the owner of this, "I swear," song? If you don't come forth now, you'll be spending tonight with a chaperone making sure you do your homework for once," Sam boomed, actually becoming a bit upset.

Still no answer.

"All right. The whole class will write me an extensive report on why we don't allow cell phones to ring in the classroom and how it disturbs our learning environment," Sam ordered which upset his students. They were all glaring at him again. But Sam shrugged it off. Hmph! They would learn not to disobey him. He returned to his novel only to be interrupted by a brave rebel of a student who stated, "we've already checked out cell phones, none of them are ringing. Maybe you should check yours."

Gasps erupted through the classroom. They all looked as though they were anticipating Mt. Coulson to erupt. The student still wore that intimidating expression but her folded arms looked like they were rubbing against each other because the owner of them was uncomfortable. She was obviously no match for Sam's daunting presence. Sam was like a quiet friendly person who unleashed so much fury that everyone knew not to make him angry.

"Sure, why not?" Sam boasted, meeting the challenge. He pulled out his cell phone from its' leather holder that was attached to his black briefcase. He flashed a smart ass expression as he showed the cell phone to his class. He practically wanted to shove it into the face of the student who'd had the nerve to try and embarrass him in front of his class.

Only his phone started vibrating in his hand and the ring tone was a beeping melodic version of "I swear," that sounded distinctly like the harp selection on a digital keyboard.

Wait a minute? Hadn't he set his phone for a Jamaican beat, something a bit more in the reggae channel? So why was his phone playing a very recent pop song? He cleared his throat and pulled up his cell phone.

Josie was calling him.

Josie! That's who must have set the ring tone. He suddenly remembered that one day he had allowed her to mess with it. She must have done it then! He turned his back to the class and click the answer button. "Josie?"

"Hey Sam!" she sang from the other end, very giddy. But Sam noticed that as giddy as his wife was, she was overdoing it.

"Honey, are you okay? I thought you were going into a meeting with Rigfort at nine?"

It was currently nine-thirty.

"Well actually...I found out already."

"Found out what?" Sam asked gently, wishing the bounciness would leave her voice, at least.

"T....that, oh god, Sam! My prayers have been answered. An year after my exclusive nightmare and I'm getting my next BIG JOB!"

Sam almost toppled backwards from the weight of his heart that had suddenly filled with pride. "An exclusive? That's great sweetie! Things are just really turning up for you, aren't they?"

Josie's reply was in the form of a giggle mixed with some equally loud sobbing.

"So, what's your undercover project now?" he injected into a giggle-free moment.

"Actually, that I haven't heard, we're about to go into the meeting to discuss the details," his wife answered in a more stable tone. "But Anita says that the job's been floating around for weeks and everyone known about it and has been waiting to see who would get it. And...looks like, I got that job!:"

Sam smiled broadly. Wow, a major exclusive all of Chicago Sun Times' reporters wanted. If there was anyone who deserved that chance, it was Josie. He was her husband, but for the three weeks of spring quarter, he'd had the opportunity to observe her work and talent as a teacher.

To borrow Guy's word, she was going to be ruffus!

"That's great, Mrs. Coulson. Now remember, just know that you belong with me for life no matter how bright your star shines, or how many Shakespearean reads try to woo your heart," he reminded her, only half-joking.

"Oh Sam! Don't you know that you are the only man I want, that my heart belongs only to you?" she assured him defiantly, then in a very sweet and innocent tone she added, "you're my adele penguin, remember?"

All of the slight worries that had surfaced in Sam's delicate heart disintegrated at the utter of those words. "Yeah, I'll never forget it."

He could just see Josie smiling right now. But then she cleared her throat and Sam knew that was probably a sigh she was going to apologize she had to go. "Okay Sam, I just about have to go, but before I do that...I need you to let me talk to Dr. Coulson for a second."

Sam grinned as he sat down on the edge of his seat, oblivious to the chattering going on that was all about teasing their very handsome English professor who turned into mush every time he go the chance to play the role of Josie's husband.

"This is he."

"Okay, um, Dr. Coulson, yesterday was really great but my stomach is still cramping up and I think my lack of morning sickness made it worse."

"Really? Well I'm sorry to hear that. Perhaps I underestimated your problem. Mind you, I didn't want to put a pregnant woman through too much pain but obviously I wasn't aggressive enough," he said with a shrug of his shoulders. "Oh well, not a problem. I guess I'll just have to try a more invasive procedure and maybe I'll prescribe a stronger prescription for you."

"Oo, I don't know if I like the sound of that. I'll have to run it by my hubby," he heard Joss whimper, she actually sounded scared.

"Well Sam totally agrees with Dr. Coulson with good reason, and so I've booked you for tonight, at around ten, sound good?" he inquired.

"Yeah... okay."

"Great," he cheered then he turned back to husband mode. "So, Josie, when should I expect you home tonight?"

"Depending on whether I need to do additional research on top of the two articles I have to edit for tonight's paper, no later than six," she informed him. "So I guess I'll try and make dinner by seven. Leave some beef out for me, will you honey?"

"It's a date," he agreed, smiling from ear to ear. "Love you."

"Love you too," Josie replied back, but it never got old for him. Josie had a way of making it sound like she meant it everyday. "Bye hun" And finally he clicked off and shoved his cell back into its' pocket. He looked up and was shocked that his students were still at their desks. He glanced at his watch, class had been over for five minutes. "Um guys, what are you still doing here?"

"Witnessing your transformation from Prof Coulson to pussy-whipped Mr. Coulson... to, dare we say it, naughty Dr. Coulson," one of the prettier girls in class giggled as they got to their feet, all three held fluffy pink binder and strapped on their bright shoulder bags.

"Naughty Dr. Coulson? What are you trying to say?' Sam demanded abashed that his conversation could be taken that way. "And why were you eavesdropping."

"You're the one speaking loud enough so the class could hear," snickered a young woman Sam had assigned a tutor session to after overhearing her converse with her boyfriend during his lesson in an earlier class. "Oh, tell you wife good luck on her exclusive, and congrats on your baby."

"Oh, thanks," he stammered shyly, staring at the ground as he turned red. He saw no one had moved from their seat. "Okay class, this conversation is over, now get out so I can go on my break," he urged them and the class started moving, doing a lot of snickering as they did. "oh and your papers, don't forget to do your papers!" he hollered until the class was empty. He then tidied up his desk, picked up a few scattered pieces of garbage as he bounded up the stairs then locked the door to his classroom before he went to the teacher's lounge to take a twenty minute, hiatus, just enough time to recompose himself for his next lesson.

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"Miller David Coulson?" twenty-eight year old Danny Larkin inquired with a raised eyebrow before he laid back in his seat to take a sip of his coffee. "Angela Juliet Coulson I can understand since all their father know their daughters are going to be angels and Juliet is just fitting because you're like a Shakespearean major. But what is Miller David about? Didn't you want to give your boy a spankin Shakespearean name too? Or at least a strong name. You can always call him junior if you couldn't come up with something good, Sam. That name has sure worked for you these last twenty seven years."

Sam rolled his eyes as he listened to the words coming out of the college's Dental Professor. He'd actually wanted to tell his colleague and also good friend his good news and naturally that had led to revealing some possible names, but he hadn't expected any negative feedback.

"I'm sorry you don't like it but I wasn't asking for your input anyway," Sam retorted, a bit irritated. "Josie and I agreed on the name so Miller David Coulson it is."

This comment was followed by Dr. Larkin's chuckling. Sam raised an eyebrow at the young man teaching dental assistants how to be dental assistants, wondering what was funny about what he'd said.

"Man Sam, I was just messing with you! It's your kid after all, if that's the name you want to give him, by all means, I'm certainly not going to stop you," the blond, equally good-looking guy laughed as he rubbed the side of his blue scrub pants.

Sam gave him a look as though he were dense. "Well your humor is so dry that I couldn't tell."

"Hey, I'm funny!" the young dentist cried out, looking very offended, while if it was a patient he would apologize for being scary.

Sam laid back in his seat and stuck his nose in a parody of Hamlet. He never particularly liked when people thought they had the right to bad mouth the most talented playwright in all the world but he knew that literary work was able to be read many different ways and perceived by many different meanings. "You just keep telling yourself that." He went back to his reading but he could see how offended Larkin was, using his peripheral vision. He was very amused and put a book mark into his book and set it aside. "Now, you know I'm kidding, right?"

"Actually, no. Man, you've got as dry a sense of humor as I do, you can't talk!" his colleague sneered as he grabbed a delicious looking cruller.

Sam didn't look at him at him or give him a reaction. Gosh, things were going to well for his wife but all of his students and colleagues seemed out to get him. Instead he decided to try another verbal jab to make up for the last one that turned out lame. "Dr. Larkin, you do know that doughnuts are bad for your teeth, especially a cruller that's like 99 sugar," Sam chided him as he picked out a less sugary cake doughnut. "You'll end up drilling your own teeth."

"Hey, I got attacked by my female students this morning. We were doing root canals and they all got squirmy and started grabbing me," he retorted as he took a humungous bit from the shiny doughnut. "They got all mad saying that I should be nicer, that couldn't I make an exception and not scrub the inside so hard. We had quite a few kids today and I think they were under the impression that the procedures we do on a child is completely different from the ones we do on an adult when then difference is really the happy background, some of the numbing procedures and our level of patience."

Sam just laughed and was thankful for once that he hadn't listened to his mother and become a doctor. Though he sort of wished he were an obstrecian so he could completely have control over what would happen to Josie till the way he welcomed his child into the world.

"Well I guess if I was bombarded by a bunch of squeamish girls being condescending while I was trying to work as quickly and as efficiently as possible, I might very well need a doughnut," Sam teased as he fiddled with the hem of his shirt, untucking it and tucking it back in, in his other hand he held the doughnut sandwiched between a napkin.

"Believe me, with the way they were treating me, it's either satisfying my sweet tooth or sending my assistants out crying and then I'd be forced to comfort them after probably coaxing the kid that I wasn't trying to hurt him."

Sam nodded as though he understood. Yup, he was glad that the career choice he'd made was not in dentistry. There was times when he could be stern as a literary teacher but not enough to make a student cry.

But they drama was pretty much the same for both situations.

"Well Danny, I think something is going around to get us young guy teachers because I'm having the same issues today," the ruggedly handsome Yale graduate said with a sigh that perked the interest of the troubled-looking dentist.

"Really, do tell."

Sam took a scrumptious nibble of his doughnut then went through his anal jock's complaining, the episode with his student griping about the new assignment he'd give them then finally, how he'd scolded his class and threatened to make them write a detailed report when nobody would stand up to take the blame for the cell phone that hand rung in the last five minutes of class. And then how it had back fired on him since it turned out that it was his cell phone that had gone off.

Dr. Larkin looked at Sam with tears in his eyes. "Man, Sam, you're just having a great day, aren't you?"

"Tell me about it," Sam agreed, grimacing as he did.

Danny held a beautiful sugar-glazed doughnut in front of Sam's face with a sympathetic glance. Sam eyed it, wondering if that would be a good idea. He'd been pretty careful since he'd like his ability to not get flabby even if he didn't work out. But then again, it was hockey season and the way his opponents played in the past he knew it was going to be a work out right there. He took the cruller from the dentist and hounded it down while Danny said, "good man."

They talked for a few more minutes about their classes and mainly how they would get back to their female students who were currently trying to humiliate the gentle, kind, good looking male teachers. It would only be a lot more interesting if Sam's eyes didn't keep darting away to the clock or the cell phone in his pocket.

"Well, you're obviously anxious about something," Danny probed as he leaned back and crossed his feet over his other knee.

Sam looked up, looking startled. "Oh sorry, it' just you know Josie's pregnant and that's a big change already, and now she's got this whole exclusive thing, you know, I know how my wife is. She's gives everything she does her 100, only she doesn't seem to get that doing that for five separate situations means that she has to work really hard. Really hard an din her delicate state, she doesn't have a good enough reason to anything hard."

"Sam," Danny said, laying a hand on his shoulder. "you said that your wife was how many weeks along?"

"Three," Sam beamed, looking very proud.

"Yeah, three, and it doesn't take a brain surgeon to tell you that she's way too early to miscarriage. I bet you can't even see her tummy yet," Danny told him and Sam looked a bit sheepish. "Which means that you are worrying way too early."

"Hey! I may not be able to see her yet but I know he/she is in there. It's amazing, fatherhood," Sam sighed, a dreamy glazed look came over his expression. "You don't even have to hear their little voice or hold him or her in your arms, you just know that you love them the move it's confirmed that they've been conceived."

"I, sounds amazing. Course I wouldn't know since I'm just a single man," Danny commented with a shrug.

"You're engaged."

"Yeah, but that's not quite the same thing," Danny reminded him, looking just a tad bit jealous. "But really, congratulations, I look forward to seeing that face of fatherly pride for years to come."

"Thanks Dan, thanks a lot," Sam said as he stood up to shake his buddy's hand. He nodded as he picked up his lesson planner.

"You know you're really got to take care of her now, I mean, I know you already do, you're probably the most devoted husband in all of Chicago but now you have to make sure you health is in even better shape."

Sam rolled his eyes, that was obvious.

"Which means she needs to be eating right and stuff. Like you said, she shouldn't over exert herself, and she shouldn't have any sort of infection in her body, so this is what I recommend you do," Danny boomed, rubbing his chin with one hand and slapping his planner against his thigh, actually looking like he knew what he was talking about and excited about it.

"Yeah, I knew that too. So what do you suggest I do?" Sam said with the most respect he could muster. Which was very difficult since he'd taken the always hyper young dentist very seriously.

"Well, you did say that she's got an exclusive coming up so she's pretty much got her work cut out for her. Why don't you do something for her like cook her dinner, that way you can cook for her and make sure she's getting healthy cuisine at the same time."

Sam was so ready for a lay off that he didn't attach the meaning to the words until he ran them through his head a second time. And surprise, what he said not only made sense but actually sounded like a good idea.

"You know what, that sounds like a really good idea. I've been thinking of a way to show her how proud I am of her for sticking with it. It's been an year since she's gotten credit for what did for the Chicago Sun Times with her latest article. Only I'm going to have to cook her something extra special," Sam ranted, half-talking to himself.

"Oh yeah, since you normally cook for her anyway, right?" Danny pointed out and felt himself just get a bit infuriated with him because he was so god damn happy.

"Only if she'll let me. Usually I end up cooking beside her, which is fun. I just like being around her, but that means I'm going to have to plan a meal then go to the store to pick up the stuff then make it home before she does, which shouldn't be a problem." Finally Sam stopped talking to himself and glanced at his watch. Then he decided to make himself a note.

_Plan dinner during 5th period test!_

_Run over to the store by 4:30 p.m _

"Okay, well my class is starting in eight minutes. I should really head over to it," Sam said as he stretched into the air. "And I suppose what you meant by infection is that she should be thoroughly checked out."

"Yeah, pretty much," the kind dentist said ,no longer taunting or a slapstick to relieve tension.

"And since the hospital's covering her pregnancy and internal organs I suppose you're going to offer to take care of her perfect teeth?"

"Yeah and because I want to keep being your friend and because I want to show you that I do care about the well being of my patients psychologically as well as physically," Danny admitted, showing just a bit of his soft side, "I'm going to perform the most kindest root canal or extraction or whatever I have to do if it comes down to it."

"Great," Sam cheered as he headed to the door and pointed a finger in his direction. "I'll talk to Josie and get back with you to schedule that, but only if you'll be using a very capable assistant."

"Now would I do that to you?" Danny retorted, looking slightly amused.

To this Sam gave him a glance that gave Danny the urge to sock him in the face. "I don't know Dan, would you?"

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Yay! Another chapter where good o'l Sam is sheepish and embarassed. Honestly Michael Vartan looks the best when he's tense, pissed or just plain sheepish!

Thanks for your reviews guys and please keep reading! And let's just say...enjoy the fluff, while you can!

Toodles,

Total Vaughn Lover


	9. Chapter Seven: Josie's Big Assignment

Author's note: Hey, happy new year, and another year for Never Been Pregnant, thanks for all your support last year and here's hoping for another great year!

Never Been Pregnant

Total Vaughn Lover

Chapter 3 Part II

Josie's New Assignment

"Okay, breathe," Josie instructed herself s she sat down in her seat. Anita plopped down on her left, her loveable big-headed assistant, Merck on the right.

But she barely could catch her breath as the various reporters and column writers from the Chicago Sun Times filed into their usual brightly sun-lit meeting room for their usual weekly meeting.

In a matter of moment she, Josie Geller Coulson was going to be announced as the reporter assigned to a project that everyone at the Chicago Sun Times was going to kill for.

"Breathe Josie!" Anita chided her friend as though she were nurse telling the expecting mother to breathe to make labor and delivery easier. "I'm serious, Josie, I haven't seen you take one good breath in the last five minutes!"

"Sorry but it's just that I'm sort of on a edge. According to what I've heard , I'm about to get my dream job!" Josie gushed nervously, reminding Anita of a high school girl giddy that her crush had said hi with her name at the end of it.

"Hey, I know you're nervous. If I knew this meeting was about me, I would certainly be freaking out," Anita whimpered, looking a bit hurt from the way her best friend was conversing with her. "But you don't' have to take it out on me."

"SSorry, it's just that I never thought I would reel back from that disastrous situation we had last year. And now it's all happening again," she said in her soft, almost cracking voice that she spouted whenever she was on the verge of crying. Her blue eyes looked even more watery.

"Nno crying, I'm not about to spend another day crying because god news just happen to follow you everywhere. I'm not sure, I've stopped all the leaks from last night when you told me you were pregnant," Anita whined, dabbing her eyes with a tissue from a packet she always carried with her.

Josie pulled a handkerchief from her own purse and wiped carefully at her eyes, not to smudge the mascara. "Anita, but it's okay, these are happy tears…and maybe a few of them are from anxiety," she added as an afterthought as she fiddled with a tube of gloss then applied the gooey stuff to her lips. "It's just, I know Sam is always saying he's proud of me, just the way I am but I never feel it. And I want to. I want to feel good about myself and impress Sam, that I can do this, that his exclusive is only going to be the first of many exclusives to come!"

Josie didn't realize she had her fist pumped into the air until she received questionable glances from people around the room. She turned her face down and started to internally chided herself for making herself constantly do embarrassing things. She was about to bury her head in her arms but she paused when she felt a warm hand squeeze her shoulder.

She turned her head to see her best friend, giving her the most beautiful and encouraging smile. "I know I'm not a handsome hunk of burning love who always knows exactly what to say to make everything all right, but I can tell you this, I've known you for years and I've known that your ability to put words together so perfectly and your dedication towards the craft was going to take you far and here it is. And Josie Geller Coulson, I know you have what it takes to do anything you set your mind to and that you will make our little Chicago paper shine!"

Josie just gazed at Anita with love, the kind of love you could only have for your best girlfriend. She felt the knots loosen and her nerves were overcome with a calmness. And now it was time to break the connection before the rest of the people in the room started making up stuff that was none of our their business.

"This coming from the woman who's broken the record for the number of times getting fired?" Josie shot back with a wry smile.

Anita nodded her head then rolled her eyes so as not to be taken seriously and that was enough to get away from the heavily touching moment.

Josie decided to change the subject but her process of coming up with a topic was interrupted by the sound of someone's hyperventilation and it alarmed her just a tad because the individual was so close.

Back when she's been a 100 nerd, who loved homework so much she often forgot to brush her hair, whenever Bill Prince was in her presence, she'd used to hyperventilate which led to, of course, speechlessness and concluded in her humiliating herself in from of the hottest guy in school.

This person's hyperventilation sounded worse. As if everything would be up to this very moment. This actually bothered Josie a little. She had the exclusive so why should there be anyone in the room more nervous than she was?

Suddenly a horrible thought struck her. What if her getting the exclusive meant the end of the line for someone else? The Chicago Sun Times staff was like family and she certainly didn't want to the be one responsible for pushing another co-worker out of a job. If that were the case, she would deny the job, it wasn't like she needed the work.

Sam was a college professor. Now of course she understood guarantee wasn't huge in the educational field but for now, he had a job and she was confident the only reason he would be parted from the job would be on his own accord. Seriously, how could they benefit from parting from one of the few teachers who will care passionately about filling young minds with knowledge?

So it wasn't like Josie had to work, only she knew that because she was as passionate about her word as Sam was, it would be hard to leave.

A married couple who enjoyed being also married to their jobs. Were they perfect or what?

But Josie would be willing to drop all of that for a fellow employee, and she was sure Sam would be proud of her. After all, she had San, nothing in life could top that.

Suddenly Anita jabbed Josie in the side, gently but hard enough to get her attention. Josie turned to her best friend with a pained expression.

"Anita!"

"Ssh, I don't want him to notice you're looking but look on the other side of you. Look at Merck," Anita hissed.

Josie gave her best friend an awkward glance but did so and let her eyes stray to the side.

She could barely keep from laughing. Merck was the one hyperventilating? It seemed to weird to see him unconfident about something when it was known he was pretty much overly confident 95 of the time, with co-workers under the "Merck," spell, constantly writing down the wise saying that came out of the smart aleck's mouth.

"Merck, are you okay?"

"Yeah," he stammered, but it came out extremely high-pitched. Anita and Josie both raised their eyebrows.

Merck looked around to make sure none of his self-created Merck fan club members were witnessing his brief phase out of character. "Ok…no!" he admitted, his eyes looking bigger under his porcupine hair. "Come on, Josie, the whole office knows someone's bout to get a big exclusive and I know for some reason, I know you're going to get it. And that would mean a possible promotion for you and of course, some kind of promotion for me and I…" he lowered his voice as though the worst was yet to come.

Josie and Anita leaned in, expecting him to say something life-altering or catastrophic.

"Well I…I don't have a speech!" he shrieked, looking panicked. "How do you think it'll look to the rest of the Merckees if their wise one actually fumbled in a situation like this. A possible leadership position, me and my fans live for these! I can't let them down!"

Josie was so sure she'd heard him wrong. She had to have. That couldn't have been what Merck said.

Josie looked at Anita who'd completely lost it. She was quiet but because there was so much she was trying to suppress, her face was noticeably red. Apparently, she was going to have to get this under control herself.

"Merck…Merck," she said soothingly then squeezed his hand until he looked over at her with innocent eyes, teary eyes.

Oh boy.

"I wouldn't get too worked up about it, not when we don't know anything yet," she cajoled him in her gentlest calmest tone. "And if that moment does come, I am very confident that you'll be able to come up with something…positively inspirational.

There was an awkward silence that made Josie feel just a tad bit regretful and a tad out of line for saying what she'd said to someone who worked for her.

Sure there was nothing wrong with making friends out of employees. Heck it might be the best way because that meant you probably spend forty hours with the girl and guy an you liked them enough to see them even more.

But not when the employee took it the wrong way like Merck had done, now giving her a subtle brow raise.

"So…do you want to get coffee after this meeting or something?" he asked then, behaving a little more like a normal person than usual. "Or do you think your husband would think of it as infidelity?"

Oh no. Josie didn't think that for a moment. Sam was not the jealous type and she was working on getting to that point. In fact, she was sure Sam would actually ask her is the "merck," had actually tried to pick up his wife.

"Um…actually, since I'm pregnant, I'm trying to stay away from coffee," Josie admitted truthfully. But when Merck looked so disappointed she added, "but if you're paying, I guess I can join you for a scone or two."

"Really? Josie, Mrs. Coulson, thank you!" he beamed then added. "I just didn't realize that you noticed my talent, my wiseness and I thought, what better way to give you more of an insight on me than to talk over a cup of coffee?"

Josie forced a smile. That hyperventilation must have affected his brain. If it was possible, Merck had gotten more confident on himself than previous and the only explanation could be lack of oxygen to the brain.

She could only hope.

"Yeah, I'd like that," Josie replied as genuinely as she could. Unless of course her ultra handsome hubby decided to surprise her by showing up for lunch.

"Good morning, everyone. A great new day at Chicago Sun, is it not?"

That was the sound of Rigfort's voice. Usually that got everyone's attention and made them all quiet and ready to take notes. But today, the tension was thick, everyone was dying to know what the "Big Job," was and which gifted reporter was going to receive the chance to appreciate it.

Everyone except Josie, of course.

"So everyone assembled or should I take attendance?"

Not one of them was in the mood to joke.

"Mmm…tight bunch this morning. Did I not provide enough doughnuts, Gus?"

"No, it was fine, boss. It's just…well, it's not a secret that one of us here is about to gain the opportunity of a lifetime." He winked at Josie which made her blush just slightly.

"Well, well, if that's the case, then I think we should cover everything else first so that no one will have a reason to leave the meeting till it's over," Rigfort chimed in, resulting in, "you got to be kidding,' stares from all of the ones besides the pretty chipper ones included in Josie's clique. "So, let's start, shall we? Okay first, Sharron."

This repetoire continued for some time and though it lasted for the usual five minutes because of all the tension in the room, it felt like fifteen. The weekly assignments included two big sport coverages. Fortunately they'd graduated from covering scholastic high school sports to the major university where Sam worked…which had it's good and bad aspects. The good was that her work area supported the team Sam's students play in …and the bad was that she was never assigned to cover sports and her co-workers, unfortunately for Sam, loved how romantic the English professor was and liked very much to tease him.

Then of course there was the team that was required to cover the huge fire, or the ten truck pile up on the freeway, the astrologer who actually thought predicting futures and writing horoscopes was her most important job in life. The fashion page led off by the most beautiful girl had a different style every week and then there were the other frequently over looked articles.

Finally of course, there was the "Today's feature," which meant writing for the front page and two continuation pages at good places within the paper.

The pages that were just about to be assigned to the team of can't stop smiling Josie Geller and can't stop hyperventilating assistant, Merck.

"Okay, and last but most definitely not least, I'd like to present this very special, "This week's feature to…" Rigfort began very dramatically then suddenly broke into a rare smile, "Josie Geller!"

Josie was surprised at the enormous amount of screaming and cheering that went along with the announcement that she didn't realize she hadn't corrected him with Coulson as she usually did. She'd received the most coveted job at the Sun. There had to be someone who was jealous, or could the miracle really have happened that every single on in the room was succumbing to her talent, or were they all just fans of Sam and Josie article, #2?

It had to be the latter. Josie had already received her one miracle in life…Sam.

"Uh Ms. Geller, it might be wise to pull out a notebook as I am about to cover, not only your one time article but the possibility that this can become a more long term project."

Josie was sure her face was red but she wondered if it was because of his calling her on not paying attention and gushing or if it was because she couldn't believe this opportunity could possibly get better than it already was.

"Now, wait a second," a particularly buxom blond with the snippiest attitude said coming to a stand, slamming her fist down on the notes she'd taken for this week's subject of her regularly featured what's in column.

"Yes, Ms. Golden."

"No offense to the awesome Josie Coulson," she snapped, but turned for a second to say, "by the way Josie, congrats on making it through your first year, you have to buy me makeup remover, I cried and my waterproof mascara ran!"

Josie nodded to her, obviously oblivious to the point her co-worker was trying to make or she was doing a good job making it look like it didn't affect her the way it should.

"Mr. Rigfort, the first article Ms. Geller certainly deserves…but if this is going to be a long featurette, don't you think other reporters who have been here longer than Josie should get a chance to contribute?"

Josie tried not to get all worked up about it but somewhere inside she felt a little scared, that suddenly they would realize she was a fake and would give it to someone who was perhaps more experienced that she was.

"Ms. Golden, I know it may be very hard to understand but we evaluated every reporter in the Chicago Sun before coming to this decision and though Josie has only recently become an actual writer, her articles were so influential that it made more money for the paper in a day than we could have ever hoped to make in six months!"

Ms. Golden obviously knew she'd lost the battle and sat down, glaring at nothing in particular, to the relief of expecting Mrs. Coulson.

"In fact, our paper was so influential that someone posted it on a website and that is where this exclusive idea came to play," Rigfort said excitedly then turned the floor over to Gus who stood up and started blushing when Anita started hooting like he was some kind of rock star.

"Thank you everyone. Now as Rigfort was saying, our little Chicago article was ready by the newest up and coming actor, Markison Aames and he sent us a…fan letter."

Gasps erupted through the room. It seemed everyone knew this Markison Aames, except the ones who should.

"Mr. Aames apparently found out about our star Josie through her ex in high school, who happens to run in that same circle. Why Josie never told us, I don't know."

All eyes turned to her. Merck with those almost seducing eyes, and Anita's red with fire, demanding why she hadn't been informed of the ex, an ex on the hollywood scene, nonetheless.

"Mr. Aames is like a lot of young up and coming actors, a pretty boy, as like all pretty boys, his hope is to reach out to the female audience and build his rapport from there. And he thinks Josie can possibly do it for him," Gus went on, looking very proud at her while she flushed form all the attention and pressure. She was still reeling from the comment that the newest young thing on primetime had found out about her through her ex in highschool….especially since she didn't have an ex, her first kiss had been with her husband.

"Josie, Mr. Aames was definitely impressed by not only your innate talent to put words together but your ability to convey a warm emotion while sounding completely genuine. In fact, his letter reads like this: I must have her and only her write my first article. Her ability to make words sing is astounding and what better way to make friends than through a song? I'd love to the Chicago Sun Times to allow her to be my temporary publicist, speaking for me at Premieres and award shows as well as making damn sure that everything written about me in the paparazzi columns be countered with my exact quotes. My first event is the week of Halloween, my premiere for my first big movie and if that goes well, I'd like to have her continually pain me with her mellifluous words and in a few months, feature with me in a special I'm creating for my fans so they can get to know the real me, the real Markison Aames. All expenses will be paid by me as well as for her write my article will come strictly from my pocket. I'm also willing to make a generous donation to the paper as I am now your number one fan!"

Gus concluded the speech then looked around the room. All mouths had dropped in shock, shock and…shock. Josie's mouth kept opening and shutting as though she were some kind of confused fish.

Josie looked over at Anita who couldn't get her jaw to roll back up and tears of joy, sparkles in her eyes. Josie was just mouthing, "oh my god! Oh my god! OH MY GOD!" when she felt a pair of strong hands take hold of her shoulders.

"So, Ms. Coulson, despite the fact that you're having some personal circumstances, you think you can handle the assignment?"

Josie already knew he answer but she felt a lot more confident about giving it when she felt Merck lean against her shoulder and her best friend grab her hand.

She looked her intimidating boss directly in the eye and gave him her best confident smile as she stated, "Yes, I'll do it to the best of my ability."

"We know you will," Rigfort said proudly then turned to the rest of the room. "So, your first job will be on Halloween. Mr. Aames will be giving us transportation information as well as Hollywood protocol, dress code, behavior, ect. Meanwhile, we'll see what we can do to keep you busy till then. Maybe Gus will be nice and give you the time off so you can prepare for your body for the weeks to come?"

Josie looked over at Gus with puppy dog eyes while Anita's were like daggers.

Gus's response was, "we'll see."

Rigfort then turned the to the room once again. "Well, I guess there's two congrats in order, one for the story and one…for the baby."

Now all negativity went out the door and all the employees had stood up to congratulate her. And Josie felt just as special as special as when she'd gotten prom queen through her second experience in High school.

Only this time, she had earned it herself. No Rob. No Sam. Just her.

The only draw back was of course going to be missing Sam. She was doing her best not think too much about that right now.

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"Well, Congrats Josie!" Merck said, sounding just a tad sat that Rigfort, not even Gus, had allowed him a speech.

"Aww, they didn't even ask me to say anything and I'm relived!" Josie told him, finally catching her breath. "But had they wanted me to, I would have definitely allowed you to speak for me."

"Just like Mr. Aames is going to allow you to speak for him!" Anita chimed in from behind them after managing to push herself through the fashion police so she could jab her in the side.

"Hey Anita!" Josie groaned, putting a protective hand to her tummy. "I don't think Angela or Miller is going to appreciate that."

But Anita went on as though she hadn't heard Josie say anything. More important matters were at hand. "I still can't believe you didn't tell ME that you have an ex. Nevertheless in the holly wood scene!" Anita hissed as they headed back to their respective desks. "I thought you told me that your first love is your Sam Coulson."

"Uh yeah, really. I'm not sure what's going on either," Josie admitted but instead of pondering it, she changed the subject. "I hope that Rigfort was serious about giving me time off. It looks like if this takes off, I'll be away from Sam a lot and…well, you know what Hollywood could do to happily married couples."

Anita noticed Josie's, "girl talk," signs and turned to the spiky haired assistant who was still punishing himself for some reason. "Merck, we'll call you when we want to go out for lunch. Why don't you go and answer some of Josie's messages."

"Coffee," Merck corrected immediately.

"Whatever. Go on and answer the phone or something. We need a moment for girl talk," Anita said quickly and Merck went away, looking quite rejected. But of course, Anita didn't seem to notice. "Jose, Sam is the most devoted guy in Chicago, if no the U.S. The only thing you need to worry about is making sure you don't overwork yourself," Anita told her as she seated herself on the edge of the desk. "You know, we should celebrate. Lunch is on me."

Josie didn't mean to look at Anita the way she did but she knew that Anita had a tendency of getting fired, in other words, she couldn't have had a steady income. But then she didn't want to insult her friend who looked eager to applaud her that she said," oh thanks Anita," instead as she pulled out a bright pink folder and slipped in her copy of the fan letter written by Markison Aames. "But I should go light. I feel like making a huge dinner for Mr. Coulson tonight."

"Look at you, calling Sam, Mr. Coulson."

And then of course, as usual, happy moment must be interrupted by those who were either jealous or didn't approve of others beings happier than them.

"Anita, shouldn't you be doing something useful like…you job?" Ms. Golden jeered, pausing with the rest of the fashion police that was hanging around her like worker bees. "No wait a second, as long as you're dating Gus, he'll always rehire you."

Josie usually didn't get upset but it was obvious what they were trying to do. She also knew what Anita would do had they provoked her so she instead motioned for her to leave. After all, the target was Josie Coulson, herself.

Anita looked reluctant to leave but she did, praying that Josie knew what she was asking for, after all, Ms. Golden was the equivalent of the snobby Kirsten

Josie sat up in her seat and straightened her cardigan then placed her hands before her and grinned, glancing at the small diamond ring on her wedding finger for luck. "Ms. Golden, I was expecting you. How can I be of assistance?"

"Oh, you don't need my help, after all, you're the star of this little office," Ms. Golden harrumphed, obviously a little shocked at the fact that Josie was not afraid of her. "If anything, we should be asking you for guidance, so if you'll allow us just one minute out of your happily ever after lifestyle."

Like Josie was going to deny them that. It was clear their intention was to intimidate her and she wasn't about to give them that satisfaction. "I'm listening."

"Well since it seems like you're not going to do the smart thing and offer the job to someone who will definitely know how to make a star shine, I just want you to think about how much Sam is going to miss you. Assuming someone else doesn't make his eyes stray," she teased, tossing her blond hair behind her shoulders, followed by everyone else doing the same thing in her group.

And really, everyone in that group looked like they belonged on the silver screen or at least a vidal sasoon hair commercial, any of them could stray a man's eyes from her.

Except Sam, because Sam was her husband, her Adele penguin. Not theirs, hers as he continually reminded her.

So of course Josie was not going to let them win today, not when she had Sam's strength in spirit. "Ms. Golden."

"Yes, Geller," she said, as though expecting her to say something stupid.

"I just have to say I am absolutely…disgusted that you didn't mature beyond high school."

"Excuse me?"

"Because had you, you'd know that you try to make others feel lower because you have no confidence in yourself except when people are more miserable than you are," Josie sighed, shaking her head. "I, on the other hand, am so confident that Sam is truer than anyone and that he'll not only support me but make sure that our love will only grow stronger. I have put all my faith in him, while you probably only dream of doing that with a man."

She stood up and put her fall jacket on then shouldered her dainty everyday purse; while they all looked on, waiting for what high and mighty move she was going to make next.

"Oh and Ms. Golden, I know that there's a reason why I'm not writing the fashion column since I don't know why stripes would be in this week yet next week it'll be a faux pas, but I know this much. You would need to have mastered more than color coordination and putting people down to make Markison Aames shine." Josie then walked so she was only an inch away from Ms. Golden and in a demanding tone said, " excuse me."

Josie smiled sweetly back at them then walked over to Merck who was covering his desk with his quotes of the day. "Merck, you busy?"

Merck glance up, looking embarrassed. He immediately began shuffling through his post it's trying to find the ones for Josie while pulling down the ones for him and began putting them into two piles so his desk looked somewhat presentable. "As always, but never too busy to assist you, Ms. Geller-Coulson."

"Good," she smiled with approval. "Let's go get that coffee then and bring those post it's along. I'll make sure they're grammatically correct."

Merck would usually be insulted by a comment like that but ever since her amazing transformation, Josie was like a ray of light and he would have to apologize to Sam because her confidence and flirtatiousness was down right sexy. "Right behind you, Josie."

As soon as he'd grabbed his wallet and quotes, Merck hurried to catch up with Josie who'd already reached the door.

Meanwhile Ms. Golden just stood there, feeling really humiliated in her skin-tight suite in a pale cold that matched her perfect styled platinum hair. Her other goldenettes had gone to their respective desks as though trying to make it appear they had nothing to do with the fashion columnist, and certainly didn't know why her tanned face had turned a few shades of purple.

Had they, maybe then someone would have heard it when Ms. Golden whispered, "you'll learn what happens when you mess with Ms. Golden. In fact I'll mess with your life so much you'll quiver at the sound of my name."

And maybe someone would have had it in their heart to warn poor happy and oblivious little Josie.

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Dun dun dun…DUN! So sorry my updates are so slow but my new year's resolution is to get these up as fast as possible so you don't have to wait so long. Please review and let me know you're still reading!!! Thank you.

Oh and yes, next chapter we get back to some good ol Sam and Josie with

Chapter 2 Part III: Something delicious is cooking in the kitchen, and it ain't Sam's dish.

Total Vaughn Lover


	10. Chapter Eight: Something delicious is br...

Author's note: Yo! Another great chapter and yes, we are finally back to seeing more of that awesome romantic Sam Coulson and Josie Coulson chemistry in the same room, (no none of this over the phone crap…or wait, maybe a little ) Thanks for your reviews last time around! And please keep reviewing!

Never Been Pregnant

Total Vartan Lover

Chapter 3 Part III

"There's something delicious brewing in the kitchen…

and it's not Sam's cookin!"

6:00 p.m.

Sam Coulson pulled his dark green convertible into the driveway of his and Josie's split-level suburban. He looked at the parking lot as he brought his vehicle to a stop and sighed with relief.

The parking spot next to his was empty.

Now usually this would upset the devoted husband a bit as he really enjoyed Josie's company. To Sam, there was two things he really came to appreciate of married life, waking up next to Josie and seeing her makeup free glowing face and the other being, coming home, opening the door and immediately hearing Josie cooking in the kitchen. It made waking up to teach students who didn't care about anything other than getting a degree and working hard each day anyway something he worth doing.

Loneliness and wondering if he was going to stay that way forever was the one thing he'd hated about returning to his bachelor every night since he'd left the comfort of his parents house. Hence the reason why he'd decided to spend as many nights with Josie in what turned out to be her brother's house before they'd legally wed.

But today, he was okay. In fact, he was really glad that she hadn't shown up yet. He vaguely remembered her sandwiching in that she needed him to leave beef out for her and coming home now would usually be considered late. And since she hadn't picked up the phone when he'd called her earlier, he'd predicted that he'd come home and be mildly scolded by his wife who liked things in acceptable order.

He found himself smiling as he opened the trunk and pulled out the three paper bags filled with french bread, his favorite dessert wine, some chocolate, assorted other groceries after somehow balancing the strap to his briefcase on his shoulder.

Today, Josie would learn just how amazing of a husband he could be. Not that he didn't try everyday, but today was a special day and he really wanted to do something for her, he really wanted to show that he could help her.

Yes, tonight's dinner was not only to celebrate her assignment and job but a celebration of their days together just being blissfully happy and proof of his commitment to enjoy together their new project becoming new parents.

And if he were lucky, he would not get yelled at for not leaving the meat out. He just had to make sure he didn't burn the main entrée into an inedible black crisp.

Sam carefully waked up the cobblestone walk way to the doorway then with his partially free hand, he fished the ring of keys out of his pocket. Somehow he managed to open the door without his tomatoes or block of Parmesan cheese tumbling onto the ground.

He quickly dropped the lot on the bar-sized counter in the kitchen then ran upstairs to put away his manuscript, stash away his briefcase. Then to erase any hint of his professional-image at work, he pulled himself out of his perfectly starched clothes and changed into a looser pair of dark slacks and a light colored v-neck sweater.

Of course he really wanted to look a bit more presentable but he wanted to be comfortable and this was just going to have to do. Maybe he'd put in a bit more gel into his lightly mussed up hair if he had time but he wasn't going to bother with it right now.

Especially since he had to cook and unfortunately, out of all the books he'd studied throughout his life, none of them had been titled "cooking for dummies." But he'd shown interest in his mother's cooking whenever she made French cuisine and he was confident he'd win Josie over with his attempt at being romantic if he couldn't please her palate.

He gave himself a quick shave in the master bathroom, leaving only a graze of six-o'clock shadow then lightly patted on his after-shave before he looked at his watch, thinking it was a good idea to do it now. It would be one less thing to worry about.

Only now it was…No! It couldn't be 6:25! Damn! Had he really spend twenty-five minutes talking to himself through his thoughts? Josie was supposed to be home a little before seven as she didn't give any indication that it would be otherwise.

Or was it six-thirty?

Either way, at this rate, dinner was going to end up being stick veggies and sliced sandwich meat, or maybe he could warm up a t. dinner and discard the box so she'll never know.

"Nope," he groaned. "Highly doubtful." He'd always been able to tell whether the food sitting on his plate was an already prepare meal or homemade with his tongue. Josie, being more classy since she'd done that month of tasting and reporting on up-and coming restaurants who wanted exposure would probably find it insulting if he tried to trick her. And carrot sticks and ranch would be a healthy choice, but definitely not romantic.

Wait! There he went again, wasting time he didn't have!

That was it! He was not going to make any more stops or let anything interrupt him from heading down the stairs. No more talking to himself or getting an anxiety attack, worrying about how Josie would react to his bad attempt at making gourmet cuisine. He was just going to do it. End of story.

Besides, they had a t.v in the kitchen after he'd begged her all summer long so he could always watch coverage of his favorite hockey team there.

Now all he had left to do here was grab the picnic floor mate, their wicker-basket and some scented candles…now where were they?

B…Bring! B bring!

Sam stopped and stared at the phone on his bedside table with an expression which was a mixture of annoyance and disbelief. This could not be happening. Didn't Dr. Larkin know that he was too busy to be betting on who's team was going to kick ass and who'd be buying the loser lunch tomorrow?

"All right, one minute…no, thirty seconds…thirty seconds is not going to kill me," Sam told himself as he transferred all his things into one arm so he could reach for the cordless with the other.

"Hey man," Sam greeting, assuming it was Dan on the line though any sane person would think it'd be smart to say, "hello." "I know you want to convince me that the Rangers are going to win again tonight but I seriously don't have the time. Josie's going to be home soon and I'm really kind of busy trying to…"

"Hello, Sam? Honey, I'm glad you picked up."

Sam felt the color drain from his face. Crap! Josie! He'd been blabbing away to his wife about the hockey situation and hadn't she interrupted at the time she did, he would have told her what he was really doing while letting his wife thinking that he was home, writing his stories, ironing his clothes, correcting his papers o watching the hockey game.

"Oh HI JOSIE!" he said a bit too cheerily that he sounded more squeaky than chipper, but that was because he was trying to smooth things over and he wasn't good at that. And whatever Sam Coulson wasn't good at, he panicked when he executed it. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine Sam," she replied in her cute voice. "Even better now that I'm talking to you. You sound surprised to hear from me. I'm sorry. Are the Kings playing tonight? I can never remember!"

"NO!" Sam replied immediately then corrected himself. "Okay, well yeah, the Kings are playing but you're not interrupting anything. And if you were, you have the eternal right to barge into my conversation at a moment's notice, wifey," he added in a warm tone, trying to out of the awkwardness by buttering her up.

"That's sweet Sam. It's just you sounded so shocked."

"Really?" he inquired surprised. "Nah, not really. Just a bit surprised."

"Sam," she said after a beat of silence in a slightly scolding tone. 'You didn't by chance, break something?"

"No!" he cut in once again, of course in that higher tone, making him seem that more suspicious. He could imagine her raising an eyebrow at his outburst.

Another pregnant pause. It was so long that Sam had convinced himself Josie was having a dawn of realization, in other worse, off the hook. He was just about to say, "so…" and wrap up the phone call when she tugged him like little kid right before he went out t play as if to say, "now just a minute young man…'

"Did you forget to leave the meat out honey? Because you know that means either you or I have to buy take out and I really don't feel up to fast food," Josie whined, sounding the tiniest bit frustrated. "Plus, since we went out last night, tonight was supposed to be my night to treat you." This time she sounded a bit forlorn and Sam knew very well what Josie was trying to do…guilt-trip him.

And well, if his wife knew what he was actually doing, then she wouldn't be pulling that stuff.

Hmm, the playful side of Sam told him this was the time to have a little fun.

"Now just a minute there, Josie Geller Coulson," Sam cut in. "Are you trying to say that I wouldn't remember what my adorable wife asked of me just this morning? You're the most important thing to me, I live to do what you ask me to do."

"Ha! Take that Josie!" he snickered to himself as he gathered all the things he'd previously collected into a basket, ready to take it down the stairs.

"Well, that's really sweet of you to say, Mr. Coulson but you get so caught up in your work. You have to admit that you've forgotten in the past an we ended up eating instant food, remember?" she shot back in a tone that was strong yet still slightly unsure.

"Oh, so you're checking up on me now, are you?" he accused, making his voice go slightly lower. "Nice, you just admitted that you don't trust me. Josie, I'm seriously hurt."

Sam thought he was doing very well, making her re-think her innocent thoughts, only didn't realize how well until he heard her stutter on the other end.

"S…sorry Sam, I…I really didn't mean to come across that way," Josie apologized in a way that hurt her handsome supposed to be joking around husband. "A…Are we fight…ing?" she asked then, lowering her tone, obviously not wanting anyone to get the slightest implication she was fighting with the can't do wrong husband she continually gushed to everyone about. "Because I…I don't want to fight with you."

Sam couldn't bring himself to falsely answer that honest question. "No, Josie, we're definitely not fighting. We're both definitely attempting to push a few minor buttons but it's nothing serious," he promised, wishing he could just reach through the phone and wrap her up in a bear hug. "I don't like fighting with you either, Josie."

There was a warm pause and Sam imagined her breaking into a smile, shivering just slightly because her voice had the capability to cause goosebumps to form on her porcelain-like skin.

"Well, now that I know we're okay, I guess I'll get to the reason why I called you," she said in a rushed voice. "I know I told you I'll be home at six-thirty but um…I'm having coffee with a co-worker right now."

"Oh, you mean Anita?" he chuckled, not at all alarmed. In fact he was happy and hoped her best friend managed to keep her there for a while.

"N…No, not Anita."

Not Anita? Sam felt a twinge of jealousy crawl up into his heart. ""Well, who then?"

"OH! No one that would bother you. Just uh, he was having a confidence problem and I was spending today helping him out of it. And who else better than me to know the importance of self-confidence?"

Sam knew that he ought to be a little upset about her revelation, who wouldn't when their wife admitted to spending time with a man that wasn't him? But he couldn't help but feel admiration towards her willingness to help when she'd never gotten it when she'd needed it herself. "Yeah, that's definitely your style. So who is this man who needed an ego-booster?"

"Um…don't laugh okay, he's standing right over there."

"I'll try to contain myself," he replied wryly.

"Okay, it's…it's Merck."

Sam knew he'd said he'd try but…Merck?

"Sam."

"Sorry but Merck has more confidence than a normal human should," he guffawed then put a hand over his mouth. "I might to as far as saying he's a bit snobbish."

"Sam!" Josie huffed. "I didn't believe it and I wouldn't have unless I spend today talking to him. He's turned out to be a pretty sensitive guy."

"Well, I'm not going to argue with you."

"Great. I'm going to be here a little while," she put in, a bit taken aback. "We're still discussing how we're going to go about planning out accomplishing this daunting project in my delicate state but no later than 7:45, okay?"

"Okay, but please Josie, feel free to take all the time you want, it won't bother me," Sam assured her.

"Sam…are you sure you didn't do something and you're trying to keep me from coming home and finding out?" she demanded in a deeper tone and Sam was sure her eyes were narrowed.

"Oh yeah, you have no idea" he drawled, trying to appear sarcastic. "No seriously, go ahead and take it slow coming home. I love you, Josie."

"I love you too, Sam," Josie replied, made an adorable kissing noise and then finally hung up the phone.

Sam pushed the off-button on the cordless then tossed it on the bed. The green numbers on the watch were reading 6:35.

Sam sped out of the room with his basket, sliding down the hallway in his socked feet, telling himself if he was Gordie Howe he could make it downstairs in record time and it would actually make a difference.

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7:15 p.m.

By this time Anita had shown up with their blushing boss and was just convincing Josie to stay longer. Usually this was the time she would politely decline saying she needed to get home and make dinner but since Sam was so insistent on keeping her out of the house she agreed to down at least another cup of decaf.

Sam was meanwhile in the midst of making his surprise dinner and he was learning that he wasn't an avid a chef as he thought he'd become since becoming Josie's sous chef.

The only thing he'd accomplished so far was setting up the living room so they could have dinner in something he felt had a romantic aura. Due to his training off-duty to be next American hockey star, his arms had the build so he could move all their heavy wood furniture and leather couch fairly effortlessly. And his "hard work," had resulted in a room that looked more like an outdoor picnic area in the Paris on a quiet evening than a quite modern looking traditional living room.

For what he could move he'd draped over it a cloth and pillows that closely resembled grass or plantation like their fifty-inch high def t.v and china cabinets filled with what other than their china.

In the middle area he'd cleared out laid a cherry red and white checkered picnic blanket on top of fuzzy dark Easter grass. And then in every imaginable spot there were porcelain figurines he'd purchased at a dollar store on his way home. They included a L'arc de Triomphe, selected stores off the Champs Elysees, a school figure that looked more like a castle than a l'ecole, the famous cathedral Notre Dame and his favorite landmark, the pride of the French people, Tower d'Eiffel, or the Eiffel Tower. From selected areas shined a candle placed within a lantern giving the whole area a soft warm moonlighted effect.

He wished he say the same about his progress in the kitchen. Unfortunately he'd spent 75 of his time in there planning what he was going to make for his wife. Test correcting had taken a lot longer than he'd expected so the length of time left made the choice for him. He'd made something that he could make quickly, a cocke monsieur (a grilled ham and shredded cheese sandwich) and a cocke madame (the same with egg). The two sandwiches currently were sitting on charming red dishes decorated with a strand of parsley.

He was currently standing by the stove stirring a concoction of mixed cheeses carefully watching it to make sure it didn't burn. After all, if it did, it wouldn't be fondue now would it?

He took a look at his wrist. Good, seemed he was making good time. Maybe he'd even have time to make some chocolate mousse.

He looked at his cheese for another second to make sure it was okay then walked over to the cutting board and cut some of the french bread into cubes and then tossed them into a basket he'd lined with napkins.

Finally he took a breather and wiped his hands on the front of his dainty white apron he had tied around his waist before he put a palm to his sweaty forehead. Damn, this cooking thing was really wiping him out and all he'd done the other part of the day was lecture, lecture and…lecture.

So why did he feel like he was finally finished running a marathon? He obviously had to getting shape after all, now that Josie was expecting, he didn't want her to slave over a hot kitchen no matter how amazing she was a cooking or multi-tasking.

Or maybe it was just that he still got goosebumps thinking about his wife. Yeah, right now he did feel like he was in one of those hours he used to spend getting ready for a date, no matter how casual it was.

He sifted through the cheese once more then looked around as though he thought someone could be looking then dipped a spoon into the pot and did a taste test.

"Mmm," he declared, smacking his lips. The taste was tantalizing that he almost reached over for a cube of bread but stopped himself. The consistency was also perfect, in fact it had turned out just as it would had his mother made it and he knew if he started eating now, he would end up scarfing it all up.

He decided to let it simmer just a tad more and while the stove took care of that, he took care of collecting utensils, wrapping them in their individual napkins before he placed them on the tray he was getting ready, already set with the two plates of sandwiches and two of his favorite wine glasses.

Now all he had left to do was put the fondue together. He had not had the time to create a succulent dessert but he'd selected an alcohol-free dessert wine and if she wanted chocolate he'd picked up a bag of his absolutely favorite Dark chocolate by Dove.

After doing a quick overview of Josie's collection of bright dishware in their cabinetry, he reached for a complimentary cream bowl. He then grabbed a wooden laddle and slowly spooned the frothy liquid into the bowl, not waning to stain her glass top kitchen stove.

"I'm HOME!"

Sam hoped he's imagined hearing that. He wasn't ready yet! Any minute she was going to come in, Damn! He needed to hurry and pour this stuff in and then somehow sneak out to the living room before she knew what was…

"Ugh!" Sam cursed and then bit his lip to keep from shouting out in pain. He'd been preoccupied with his thoughts that he'd forgotten he'd still been pouring. His finger did though, now that the steaming broth had dripped and burned his index finger.

"Sam? Honey, are you in? I'm sorry I was late, I'll get dinner ready in a second. Do you want me to pop you some popcorn while you wait?" Josie's voice echoed, getting louder as she came closer. Apparently she was assuming he did what he usually did, sit in front of the t.v with the hockey game turned down so he could read his student's papers.

"Well when she appears in the doorway, she'll know," Sam thought, feeling just a bit lightheaded as the throbbing worsened. Damn! Why hadn't he turned down the burner?

"Sam?" Sam heard Josie call very near him which was followed by a gasp. "Sam? Sweetie, what happened, are you okay?"

Before Sam could protest and be all, "yeah sure," and remain cool, Josie rushed up to him, dropping her bags of groceries on the floor. Oranges and bananas didn't hesitate to run and rolled away in all directions.

Worse yet, she pulled on the hand he was hiding behind his back, squeezing his throbbing finger

"God Damn, Josie!" Sam cursed, his eyes becoming clear and alert from the pain. "Yank my injured hand why don't you! I don't remember being so harsh when you had that tummy ache last night." He was actually smiling but Josie would never had figured that out from listening to his voice.

"Sam, I'm sorry! You should have said something!" she scolded him as though she'd not suddenly come upon him without giving any notice. "If you'd told me it hurt, I wouldn't have been so abrupt."

Sam just smiled, one because he was too tired to argue and second because he didn't really blame Josie for reacting the way she'd done. She always got excited when something was wrong. Had she reacted any other way, it would not have been normal.

"What did you do, Sam?"

"I uh…I burned it on that pot I was using," Sam answered, indicating the copper pot with his uninjured thumb. "I guess you're right, Jose. I guess I am not as mature as I thought I'd be at 28," he added with a chuckle to lessen his wife's worry load.

"I could have sworn I turned the heat down. I should write the national hockey league. They addiction they've caused me is proving to be a safety hazard."

"Stop joking around," she cut in a she placed her coat on a chair, leaving her with a conservative enough tank top. She then reached for his hand again at which Sam happily obliged. She carefully bent it to check it's motor function then very gently she felt the tender part of his index finger.

Sam winced, as babyish as it probably looked.

"It looks bad, honey, did you soak it in water?"

"Nah, I didn't have the chance. It just happened, right as you walked in," he shrugged, trying to make it seem like it didn't bother him at all though he really wished she'd stop touching it.

"Okay, well why don't I soak it for you and then I'll put some first-aid cream on it before I take care of the dinner, okay?"

Sam smiled, touched by how much concern she was exerting over a burn that had just slightly blistered his poor finger. "Ok, thanks Jose."

Josie gave him a "you're welcome. Sorry if it stings a little," smile as she moved the cutting board from the double sink then rolled back his sleeve and gently massaged his finger under the lukewarm water.

She heard Sam bite back a sharp gasp.

"That apron looks really good on you with all it's laces and ruffles," she complimented to get his mind off the pain. "Really, you probably wear it better than me you handsome man, you!"

She finally elicited a chuckle out of Sam.

"So, you were keeping me away to keep me from finding out you were tinkering in my sanctuary?" she said then, gesturing to the used pots and pans that were scattered around.

"Maybe," was the only thing Sam replied and in quite a mysterious tone and Josie couldn't help but think Sam was hiding something. But then maybe he was just trying to be nice and hide the truth: he'd tried to cook dinner because he was hungry and couldn't wait for her to come home. Sam had never really been good at saying no as she couldn't so they always ended up compromising, as seemed to be the case this time.

She could feel tears well up in her eyes so she kept her head turned away as she switched the water of and patted his finger dry. She then reached for the first aid cream in one of the cabinets above the sink.

"Why don't' we do the rest in the living room?" she suggested.

Sam was completely okay with the idea but something was not right and he didn't answer because he was preoccupied with finding out what's wrong.

"Sure but wait, Josie…what's wrong?"

"What do you mean?" she chuckled as she led Sam to the…dimly lit living room?

Sam pulled on her arm so that it flipped her around and she was forced to face him. He saw just as he predicted her deep blue peepers were watering and the tears had stained her cheeks. "Why are you crying, baby? Because if Merck…"

Josie was suddenly pulled against Sam's chest and felt a warmth only her husband's embrace would provide her with and a vulnerability she could only reach at the sound of her husband's heart in her ear.

"It wasn't Merck, Sam," she murmured as she pulled herself back and clasped her husband's injured hand in hers and kissed it while he watched. "It's just that thinking it's my fault, my selfishness and my trying to take advantage of your kindness that you ended up hurting yourself."

Sam knew this was the worst time to laugh but what she was saying was ridiculous. Jose, what are you talking about?"

"If I was home you wouldn't be hungry and you wouldn't have tried to make dinner," she blubbered and turned away, not wanting to see Sam's ridiculing expression.

"No, baby…you've got it all wrong," Sam assured her as he put his hands on her shoulders then gently pushed her towards the romantic scene of Paris he'd spent the last two hours putting together.

Josie gave an audible gasp and put a hand to her mouth. Sam smiled as he wrapped his arms around her neck then nuzzled her shoulder with his just-rightly scruffy cheek.

"You see, I was in the kitchen making what's turned out to be a bit of a mess because I wanted to cook you dinner," Sam revealed. "So now you know why I burned my finger and found me in this ridiculous ruffle creation. And why I didn't care to let you amuse Merck a little longer. Go ahead and sit down, I've got the appetizer still hidden in the kitchen."

Josie did seat herself on the picnic blanket she hadn't seen since one of her first dates with Sam. Then looked around the room in awe, immediately feeling she was in one of the romantic European countries she'd read about. "You did all this?"

"Yeah. I was surprised I got this far before you came home," Sam admitted, looking pretty proud of himself. "This is Sam Coulson's "A Paris Night to Remember." Do you like it Mademoiselle?"

"Am I not a Madame since I'm married?" she teased, back to her blushing smiling self.

"You can be married fifty years and you'd still look like a lady to me," he told her with a wink. "Enjoy the scented candles. I'll be right back with the fondue."

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Sometime after 8:00 p.m.

This would be a sight for their neighbors to see, only then all the wives would start nagging their significant others to be as romantic as Sam was. But didn't they know there is never enough perfect husbands to go around.

So maybe it was better that they didn't know. It sure didn't seem to bother Josie and Sam who were nibbling away at the sandwiches and drinking responsible amounts of dessert wine even though there wasn't any real alcohol in it. Sam was finishing up talking about his day and he'd just gently broken to her the news that he wanted to take her to see Dr. Larkin.

"Sam, I don't know. I don't like dentists," Josie admitted sheepishly as she wiped her hands on a napkin.

"Honey, I don't think anyone actually likes the dentist," Sam said wryly as he dipped a hunk of sandwich meat in the fondue. "But I think Dan's got a point. The doctors are going to check you every month to make sure your body is in tip-top shape but no one there is going to give a damn about if you have cavities or not. I'm just asking you to go once. There's probably nothing wrong with them but I just want to hear it from someone who knows what he's talking about."

Josie chewed silently, obviously trying to find a way out of going and Sam knew it. He watched her with shining eyes, wondering what she would come up with.

"Okay Sam, I'll go," she gave in reluctantly.

"Great! I knew you'd see this will be good for you!"

"But only if you go to Dr. Larkin for your check up first. Since he's your friend that shouldn't be a big deal for you, right?" she added firmly, staring at Sam who shook just slightly. Seemed he didn't like dentists either.

"Well, yes, he is my friend, which is why it shouldn't be a big deal to you," Sam replied soothingly. "But I can go when I need to and my teeth feel just fine. You're the one who's pregnant. You're the one who needs it, for the baby."

"Ugh! How judgmental is that?" Josie retorted, huffing. "If you want to get technical I didn't cause this pregnancy to happen by myself."

"Josie, sweetie, I'm not trying to be judgmental," he crooned. "I'm just looking out for you."

"Well, just so you know, you can sweet talk me all you want but I'm not going unless you go first, husband of mine," she stated with a superior-looking grin.

Sam sighed and decided to quit while he was ahead. He was not going to win this argument, at least not right now.

"All right, that's enough talking about that," Sam put in. "Let's talk about your day now."

Josie began and told Sam everything about it including the hyperventilation bit that Merck had gone through. Sam thought he could have learned about his wife's day in full even if she'd decided to leave that out. He did however enjoy hearing about how Anita had made Gus blush (again!) and about how the decent-sounding people of Chicago Sun Times staff had taken Josie getting her exclusive very appropriately. When she mentioned that her assignment was on Markison Aames, he was sure Josie was putting him on.

"Josie, you're kidding right?"

"No," she argued and showed Sam the letter her boss had received within the fan mail that had poured in featuring their support for the Coulsons. She saw Sam's eyes get large. "Do you know who he is?"

"Yeah, a major hollywood player. The freshmen girls in my class are always gushing about him and some of the running-start students had him plastered on their binders," Sam told her as he read on. (A/n: running start in my state means gifted senior and juniors taking classes in college in place of some highschool courses!)

"But you didn't like to go to high school with him or anything did you?"

Sam tried not to make Josie feel stupid as he said, "well, the kid is like seven years younger than me so I probably graduated before he became a highschooler. Why?"

She told him about the other letter he'd addressed specifically to the head of the firm, Rigfort, asking that she be put on the assignment because somebody she knew before had let him in about her.

"Hmmm…I don't know. You sure you're not hiding any ex-boyfriends from me?" Sam taunted as he finished his glass of wine.

Finally Josie told him about Ms. Golden and how she predicted her being away a lot to be the publicist for an year would ruin their marriage.

"Really? Ms. Golden said that we'll get divorced because your job is to help a new action get some good exposure? And is this Ms. Golden married because if had to be from self-experience that she gained this bogus information."

"Sam, are you sure you're okay? I mean sure this is the 2nd chance they're giving me to make the Sun Times proud but I would gladly give it to Ms. Golden if you'd rather I not do the project," Josie told him confidently. "I'd drop anything and everything for you Sam."

"Which you're not going to do, baby," he cut in firmly and fixed her with a serious gaze. "I'm okay. I mean I've never been happier than the day I married you so of course it'll be hard returning back to a bachelor life part of the time but…we are going to be fine. You will take this job and make them regret ever making a big deal out of the high school fiasco. It was obviously meant to be."

"But Sam, you pass the magazine stands. Brad and Jenn got a divorce along with Angelina and Billy Bob, Demi Moore Bruce Willis. Relationships in the Hollywood limelight don't last. What if they start printing rumors about me being a gold digger or something?"

"Jose, remember that sex-education class when you mentioned that thing about Adele penguins. The moment you said that, crazy as I knew it was, I knew you were mine. That connection is stronger than Romeo and Juliet," Sam murmured in a husky voice. "And if you need more proof, technically," he continued and reached for her hand that was holding a fork loaded with food and pushed it down. "We are a successful teacher and student love story and it turned out to be heaven. God let us be so lucky in love and tonight…as I've done before, I'm going to prove it you all over again."

He pushed aside the food that was sitting between them before he reached for her face with his hands and began kissing her.

Josie remained tense for a second but gradually relaxed and gave into her desire to connect with her husband physically, emotionally and spiritually and together they would climb to cloud nine.

After a feverish session of embracing and rolling around on the blanket it was Sam who gently broke away and gazed down at her with intense green eyes.

"Come on," he urged her in a whisper and gently pulled her to her feet then led her toward the stairs. Josie couldn't help but notice the left-overs that were just sitting there.

"Sam, what about the dishes?"

He replied to this by picking Josie up in his arms and whispering, "don't worry, the dishes will be there when we wake up tomorrow. Right now it's more important for me to be with my wife."

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So sorry it took so long but I am definitely working on it. I don't' think I'm that over a month! Anywho, thanks for all your fantastic reviews and don't worry, Total Vartan lover (notice the name change ) is here to stay and will only continue to grow on your reviews (wink wink) Thanks ya'll and keep reading!

Total Vartan Lover


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